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RIGHT, IT IS 5 31.WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME FOLKS TO SETTLE IN A QUORUM BEING PRESENT.
I WANTED TO CALL TONIGHT'S APRIL 13TH, 2026, REGULAR MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
TO ORDER THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.
PRESENT VICE MAYOR ABSENT COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.
COUNCILOR NOLAN PRESENT, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
THAT'S EIGHT MEMBERS PRESENT, ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PRETEND YOU'RE HEARING A GAVEL.
SO WE'LL WE CAN SIT DOWN PER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEANINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPANT REMOTELY, WE'VE SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE MEETING VIA THE CITY'S OPEN MEETING PORTAL OR ON THE CITY'S CABLE.
CHANNEL 22 TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU MUST SIGN UP AT WWW.CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV/PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK CAMBRIDGE MA.GOV.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL 6:00 PM PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
IN ADDITION, THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
COMMENT MAY BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS CHAPTER 30 A SECTION 20 G AND CITY COUNCIL RULES 20 3D AND 37.ONCE YOU FINISH SPEAKING, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CALLED INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ALLOCATE THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TIME TO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I ASK THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE RECORD AND THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ON.
GIVEN RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE 85 SPEAKERS WHO'VE SIGNED UP, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START CALLING PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS IRENE KING, FOLLOWED BY JULIA STEVENS.
THEN PAULA KO IRENE, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
IT'S RIGHT ON THE, IT'S AT THE BASE OF THE MICROPHONE.
SORRY, I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
UH, MY NAME IS IRENE KONG AND I LIVE AT ONE 13 SEVENTH STREET, APARTMENT NUMBER TWO, IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM KENNEDY LONGFELLOW.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF BOTH POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE I'LL FOCUS ON NUMBER THREE.
MOST HOMES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE HAVE ZERO LOT LINES AND MINIMAL YARDS, IF ANY.
SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANY GREEN SPACE OF OUR OWN, WE USE AHERN FIELD EVERY DAY FOR EXERCISE, RELAXATION AND SOCIALIZATION.
CONVERTING AHERN FIELD INTO AN ARTIFICIAL TURF ATHLETIC FIELD IS NOT JUST A SIMPLE MATTER OF CHOOSING A MATERIAL LIKE YOU WOULD CHOOSE A CARPET.
THIS IS A MAJOR CITY PLANNING DECISION.
IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC HEALTH, CLIMATE, RESILIENCY, AND TRANSPORTATION, NOT JUST FOR EAST CAMBRIDGE BUT FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
WE ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
WE ALSO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO CONDUCT A TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT INCORPORATES FEEDBACK FROM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST SPORTS LEAGUES AND TO PAUSE CONSTRUCTION UNTIL THEY REACH AN INCLUSIVE SOLUTION THAT COMPLIES WITH THE CAMBRIDGE NET ZERO ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENT CAMBRIDGE PLAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JULIA STEVENS.
I'M 13 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE AT 1 79 SPRING STREET.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST SAER TURFING, A HEARN FIELD EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE BABY AND I TRIED TO LEARN HOW TO WALK ON THE FIELD.
THE FIELD HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME OVER THE YEARS I HAVE MET SOME OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS THERE, TRIED AND FAILED TO DO CARTWHEELS WITH THEM.
PLAYED THAT ONE GAME WHERE YOU SPIN AND SPIN AROUND AND WHOEVER FALLS FIRST LOSES HULA HOOPS, FRISBEE PICNICS, GAMES WITH
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SARDINES OR TAG.YOU CAN IMAGINE MY DISMAY WHEN I HEARD THAT MY BELOVED FIELD WOULD GET TURFED.
ALL OF THE SPORTS AND GAMES THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON FALLING AND WHEN YOU FALL ON TURF IT, IT WILL GIVE YOU TURF BURNS.
GRASS IS FORGIVING FRESH AND IT DOESN'T RELEASE MICROPLASTICS INTO THE AIR.
ALSO, IT PROVIDES WATER DRAINAGE IN CASE OF FLOODS.
WITH ALL OF THIS IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO DO WHAT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER TO STOP AHERN FIELD FROM BEING ASRT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAOLA BUCO, FOLLOWED BY KENNY HOCK.
PAOLA BUCO, 1 79 SPRING STREET.
CAN I START? AHERN GRASSFIELD IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I MOVED TO EAST CAMBRIDGE 19 YEARS AGO BEFORE HAVING KIDS AND WHY I DIDN'T MOVE TO THE SUBURBS AFTER HAVING KIDS.
IT'S EVERYBODY'S BACKYARD WHERE MY KIDS LIKE MAINLY FROM THE OLD KALO AND EASTERN HOUSE COULD ROLL AROUND AND MEET TO PLAY.
IT'S WHERE WE MEET OUR ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE IN NEARBY ASSISTED LIVING WHO MANAGE TO TAKE A WALK IN NATURE.
IT'S A PIECE OF OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING.
IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, WE HAVE THE LEAST TREES AND GRASS.
UNLIKE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO CHOOSE WHERE WE WILL WALK FOR A PICNIC VERSUS PLAYING SOCCER.
THE MARCH MEETING REPORTED, REPORTED FIXES DECISIONS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO CONTRAST.
I WANT TO KNOW WHOSE INTERESTS ARE REPRESENTED IN THIS PROJECT AND THE TRADE-OFFS.
I ENCOURAGE THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER THAT AHA NEEDS A SHARED SPACE.
BOSTON BURNED ARTIFICIAL TURF.
WE CAN PLAY IN ALL SPORTS AND KEEP FREE PLAY COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES IN OUR PATCH OF GRASS AT AHERN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KENNY HOTTA, FOLLOWED BY JEREMY AS STORY.
THEN MELANIE ABRAMS. KENNY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I LIVE AT 3 0 3 THIRD STREET, CAMBRIDGE.
I'M A PARENT OF A YOUNG ATHLETE AND I'M SPEAKING FAVOR OF PO NUMBER THREE.
I WANT TO THANK THE THREE COUNSELORS WHO SPONSOR THIS ORDER, UH, WHICH BASICALLY ASKED THE CITY TO SHOW ITS WORK, UH, BEFORE ASKING RESIDENTS TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
PO NUMBER THREE MATTERS NOT JUST FOR AHERN FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, BUT FOR ALL CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS BECAUSE IF A MAJOR DECISION LIKE THIS CAN MOVE FORWARD ON A WEAK RECORD, THEN EVERY RESIDENT, HIS RIGHT TO ASK WHAT IMPORTANT COMMUNITY SPACE WILL BE BULLDOZED NEXT MOVING FORWARD AS IS CREATES A BIGGER TRUST AND PRECEDENT PROBLEM THAN THE DECISION TO TURF WOULD BE WORTH IF THE CITY CANNOT CLEARLY SHOW HOW THE TURF DECISION WAS MADE, WHAT ALTERNATIVES WERE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED, AND FINALLY HOW COMMUNITY INPUT WAS WEIGHED BEFORE TURF BECAME A FIXED DECISION.
THEN AHERN SHOULD KEEP ITS GRASS UNTIL IT DOES.
PLEASE SUPPORT PO NUMBER THREE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEREMY STORY FOLLOWED BY MELANIE ABRAMS. JEREMY HAS NOT JOINED.
WE'LL GO TO MELANIE, FOLLOWED BY PHYLLIS SIMKINS, SUSAN REED, THEN SUZANNE B MELANIE.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, MY NAME IS MELANIE ABRAMS. I LIVE AT 10 AGASSI STREET NUMBER 12 A IN CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.
UM, AND I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, WHICH GIVES US THE WAY OUT OF A ZERO SUM GAME.
UM, I BIKE TO WORK EVERY DAY ON GARDEN STREET, UM, AND I ALSO CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF NEIGHBORS, UM, ON LIKE BOTH ON CYCLES, ON FOOT, UM, AND IN CARS.
UM, I CARE ABOUT THEIR CONVENIENCE BUT ALSO, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CURRENT PLAN WOULD BE DOING.
NO ONE IN WOULD EVER SUGGEST HAVING FOUR LANES OF CARS, UM, IN ALTERNATING DIRECTIONS.
THEY WOULD SAY THAT'S RADICALLY UNSAFE AND SO WE NEED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STEP BACK FROM DOING THE SAME.
WHEN TWO OF THOSE ARE LANES WITH CYCLES, UM, NO ONE KNOWS WHICH WAY TO TURN.
AND EVEN WORSE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, IN THE THE THE REMOVED PARKING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DELIVERY TRUCKS, UBERS UBER EATS TRYING TO PULL INTO THE BIKE LANES OR COMPLETELY STOPPING TRAFFIC.
SO INSTEAD TAKING THIS CHANCE TO REEVALUATE TO LOOK WHERE WE CAN THINK BEYOND WHAT WE'VE CURRENTLY THOUGHT, UM, IS ESSENTIAL SPEAKER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PHYLLIS SIMKINS, FOLLOWED BY SU SUSAN REED, THEN SUZANNE, ER.
I LIVE 2 49 HURON AVE, CORNER OF APPLETON AND HURON.
THIS IS MY FOURTH TIME COMMENTING TO RETURN GARDEN STREET BACK TO A TWO-WAY STREET COMMUNITIES COMING FROM BOSTON, HEADING HOME VIA ROUTE TWO WEST.
THEY ARE A BIG PART OF THE TRAFFIC.
THEY WON'T STOP DRIVING AND START BIKING.
I'VE STOOD ON GARDEN NEAR MADISON OBSERVING BIKE PATTERNS.
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GOING TOWARDS THE SQUARE IN THE MORNING, THE REVERSE IN THE EVENING.BIDIRECTIONAL BIKE LANDS WILL WORK WELL.
PRIOR TO THE DIRECTIONAL CHANGE, APPLETON HAD 3000 CARS DAILY AFTERWARDS, 4,200.
SINCE THE NOLE TURN SIGN, APPLETON TRAFFIC HAS EASED, BUT HURON TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED AND BACKS UP FROM CONQUERED PAST APPLETON MOST EVENING RUSH HOURS WITH THE UPCOMING TEAR DOWN OF A ONE FAMILY TO BUILD A SIX STORY 55 UNIT BUILDING ON WYMAN ROAD.
WE KNOW THERE WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF TRAFFIC.
A TWO-WAY GARDEN STREET WILL EVEN HAVE TRAFFIC.
YOUR TIME HAS LARGER NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO JEREMY A STORY.
THEN WE WILL HEAR FROM SUSAN REED, SUZANNE ER THEN SHARON BOROUGH.
I'M A RESIDENT OF EAST CAMBRIDGE AND I WOULD LIKE TO STATE MY SUPPORT FOR P PRIORITY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
WE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THE INSTALLATION OF A TURF FIELD THAT AHERN IS IN PART THE RESULT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND QUOTE FOR THE GOOD OF THE EAST CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE THIS FOR THREE REASONS.
ONE, COMMUNITY INPUT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF NATURAL GRASS.
DOCUMENTED FEEDBACK DURING THE TWO POP-UP EVENTS FROM LAST SUMMER WAS WERE RESPECTIVELY 12 TO ONE AND 25 25 TO ONE IN FAVOR OF GRASS WHILE PEOPLE PRESENT AT THE MARCH 11 OPEN HOUSE ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY OPPOSED TURF TWO.
WE WERE REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT THIS DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE PRIOR TO ANY OF THESE EVENTS ANYWAY.
AND THREE, UH, WE HAVE A PETITION THAT GATHERED WELL OVER 800 SIGNATURES SO FAR AND STILL STEADILY GROWING WITH A VAST MAJORITY OF LOCAL RESPONDENTS.
UM, AMONG, AMONG OTHER ISSUES WITH THE TURF DECISION RAISED TODAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW COMMUNITY INPUT WAS GATHERED.
YOU CAN EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS TO CITY COUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSAN REED, FOLLOWED BY SUZANNE BLEA.
I'M SUSAN REED AND I LIVE AT 52 GARDEN STREET.
I'M SPEAKING FOR AGENDA ITEM TWO, PLACING GARDEN STREET CONSTRUCTION ON HOLD.
I KNOW YOU'VE VOTED FOR THIS AND SUBJECT BEFORE AND I APPRECIATE YOU RECONSIDERING IT WITH AN OPEN MIND.
THE CURRENT PLAN MOVES OUR LOADING ZONE FROM IN FRONT OF OUR BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE BLUE BIKE STATION ON A MAP THAT LOOKS LIKE A MINOR SHIFT.
IN REALITY, IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD TO MANY SENIORS A BARRIER.
RIGHT NOW OUR RESIDENTS TAKE FIVE STEPS TO REACH THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
UNDER THIS PLAN THEY MUST WALK 145 STEPS THROUGH THE CROSSWALKS NEARLY 30 TIMES AS FAR, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND TWO BIKE LANES JUST TO GET HOME.
DISABLED RESIDENTS WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY STRANDED.
I'VE BEEN THERE, I WAS IN A BOOT CAST ON CRUTCHES FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN GARDEN WAS TWO WAY.
I COULD NOT CROSS THAT STREET.
TOO MANY CARS TOO FAST AND I WAS TOO SLOW.
LET'S PUT THIS PROJECT ON HOLD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BLEIER, FOLLOWED BY SHARON MARU, THEN CAROLYN JOHNSTON.
SUZANNE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THIS IS AMBIA, A FIVE FULLER PLACE AND FIRST OF ALL, I FAVOR GRASS ON PLAYING FIELDS, BUT MOSTLY I WANNA SPEAK TO POLICY ORDER TWO AND SUPPORT CITY COUNCIL'S EARLIER DECISION TO RETURN GARDEN STREET TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC WITH BIKE LANES INTACT.
THIS IS POSITIVE, IT'S NOT ABOUT BIKE LANES AND IT'S FAR SAFER THIS WAY BECAUSE THERE WILL BE FEWER INTERSECTIONS ON THE BIKE LANE SIDE.
SOME PARKING SPACES WILL BE LOST, BUT THE CITY AND CITY COUNCIL HAS OVERLOOKED THIS CONCERN FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET AND BROADWAY WHERE WE HAVE FEWER DRIVEWAYS AND AND SMALLER BUILDINGS.
THEY DID NOT CARE ABOUT BRATTLE STREETE SENIORS WHO ALSO LOST THEIR PARKING.
WE NEED TO FOLLOW POLICIES FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE OTHER AND BE CONSISTENT ON THIS GARDEN GOES TO SHERMAN, A MAJOR ARTERY IN AND OUT OF HARVARD SQUARE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHARON MBR, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN JOHNSTON.
SHARON, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE SHARON, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW WE CAN.
I LIVE AT THE CORNER OF RAYMOND STREET IN UPLAND ROAD.
FOR THE RECORD, I AM A CYCLIST.
MY THREE CHILDREN ARE CYCLISTS AND I URGE YOU TONIGHT TO VOTE NO ON POLICY ORDER 26 76.
I'M NOT HERE TONIGHT TO RE-LITIGATE THE MERITS OF A ONE WAY VERSUS A TWO-WAY TRAFFIC ON GARDEN STREET.
THAT ARGUMENT HAS BEEN MADE EXHAUSTIVELY BY HUNDREDS OF
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RESIDENTS.OVER THREE YEARS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, LISTENING SESSIONS AND CITY STAFF REPORTS, IT HAS BEEN ARGUED AD NAUSEUM AND THIS, THIS COUNCIL VOTED ON IT FIVE TO FOUR OVER A YEAR AGO.
THAT VOTE WAS THE END OF THE PROCESS OR IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
WHAT I'M HERE TO ADDRESS IS SOMETHING MORE FUNDAMENTAL.
WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A COUNCIL SIMPLY REFUSES TO ACCEPT ITS OWN DECISIONS, THE POLICY ORDER CAN SIMPLY BE CANCELED BY A SUBSEQUENT ORDER THEN NO VOTE OF THIS COUNCIL EVER MEANS ANYTHING.
RESIDENTS WHO SPENT YEARS ADVOCATING FOR A DECISION WHICH IS THEN VOTED ON CANNOT TRUST THAT THE DECISION WILL HOLD.
THIS IS A FAILURE OF GOVERNMENTS, NOT A FEATURE OF IT.
PLEASE VOTE NO ON POLICY ORDER 26 76.
THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AND LET IT STAND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLYN JOHNSTON.
I'VE LIVED AT 52 GARDEN STREET FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS AND I'M 81 YEARS OLD.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PUT THIS CONSTRUCTION ON HOLD BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING ON GARDEN STREET.
I STILL DRIVE MY CAR IS NOT A LUXURY, IT'S A LIFELINE.
NOT JUST FOR ME BUT OTHERS IN OUR BUILDING AND ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE LIMITED MY MOBILITY LIKE ME, I CAN HELP THEM AS WELL AS MYSELF.
WHETHER IT'S GETTING TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT OR DEALING WITH THE GROCERIES.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE OUR PARKING AND LOADING ZONE WHERE IT IS NOW, THE SUGGESTION TO USE THE HARVARD OBSERVATORY FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING WOULDN'T WORK.
WHERE DOES THE CAR GO DURING THE DAY AND IN THE WINTER WHEN THE SIDEWALKS ARE ICY AND SLIPPERY? ASKING AN 81-YEAR-OLD WITH THE TITANIUM HIP TO WALK THAT DISTANCE ISN'T JUST INCONVENIENT, IT'S DANGEROUS.
WE NEED A DESIGN THAT RESPECTS THE REALITY OF AGING IN THIS CITY.
PLEASE VOTE TO PUT THIS CONSTRUCTION ON HOLD UNTIL IT'S FOUND THAT KEEPS US ALL MOBILE AND SAFE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GIA JING LEE, FOLLOWED BY ZION SHEARING THEN NICOLE BARNA.
WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 12 OF 86 SPEAKERS JUDGING LEE 22ND STREET.
I'M SPEAKING REGARDING POLICY ITEM THREE AS A STATE APPOINTED SPECIAL EDUCATION SURROGATE PARENT.
I RECENTLY WROTE IN CAMBRIDGE STATE THAT THE AHERN FIELD PLAN CONTRADICTS THE CITY'S OWN GOALS.
PLEASE MOVE THIS TO THE ACTION AGENDA FOR THREE REASONS.
HEALTH, WE CANNOT BE CLIMATE LEADERS WHILE INSTALLING SURFACES 40 TO 70 DEGREES HOTTER THAN GRASS EQUITY.
THIS IS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR EAST CAMBRIDGE SCHOOLS.
SYNTHETIC TURF CREATES SENSORY AND THERMAL BARRIERS FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS.
THE CITY IGNORES A MILLION DOLLAR REPLACEMENT LIABILITY EVERY DECADE WHILE BOSTON HAS A MORATORIUM AND THE STATE IS MOVING TO RESTRICT THESE MATERIALS, CAMBRIDGE IS DOUBLING DOWN ON A RECURRING EXPENSE.
WE NEED A TRANSPARENT PUBLIC HEARING TO REEVALUATE THIS DESIGN.
PLEASE PROTECT OUR CHILDREN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ONLY GREEN OASIS.
ZION, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF 'CAUSE I KIND OF HAVE TO.
UM, I'M HERE ON POLICY ORDER TWO AND I KNOW MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY HAVE THEIR MIND UP AND THERE'S GONNA BE A WHOLE BUNCH OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE GONNA SHARE WHAT I COULD SHARE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA SHARE A PERSONAL STORY.
UM, RECENTLY I WAS OVER IN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
I WAS DOOR KNOCKING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S RUNNING FOR SENATE OUT THERE AND ON MY WAY BACK I WAS ON MY ELECTRIC SCOOTER, I WAS ON BRATTLE STREET.
BRATTLE STREET IS A TWO LANE, UH, BIKE LANE NEXT TO UH, YOU KNOW, A LANE FOR CARS OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? I WAS GOING DOWN AND TO MY SURPRISE, I SAW A CAR DRIVING DIRECTLY TOWARDS ME IN THE TWO LANE BIKE LANE DRIVING PROBABLY ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR WITH ANOTHER CAR RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
NOW, I HAVEN'T FELT THIS UNSAFE IN CAMBRIDGE.
I'VE HAD MULTIPLE TIMES IN MY LIFE WHERE I FELT MUCH LESS SAFE BUT NEVER HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND I JUST WANNA SHARE THAT SO THAT WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STOPPING IT.
RECENTLY I WENT BY BRATTLE IN MY CAR AND I SAW THAT NOW THERE'S A CONE BLOCKING THAT E ENTRANCE WHERE THE CAR WOULD'VE ENTERED, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S A CONSIDERATION WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERING POLICY ORDER TOO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICOLE BARNA, FOLLOWED BY RON AXELROD, THEN NATHAN WANG.
NICOLE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I LIVE AT 29 BELLA CIRCLE AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, AS A LONGTIME CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE FOUND THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF GARDEN STREET TO BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR SAFETY AND COMFORT.
WHEN WALKING AND BIKING BETWEEN NORTH CAMBRIDGE AND HARVARD SQUARE, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS ACROSS OUR CITY THAT ARE SAFE AND CONVENIENT.
THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION IS THE SAFEST OPTION FOR THOSE WHO USE GARDEN STREET, THE RESIDENTS OF GARDEN STREET AS WE'VE HEARD AND PARTICULARLY OUR OUR CITY'S
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STUDENTS WHO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN CRLS AND DANEE ON A REGULAR BASIS.I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS DONE ON GARDEN STREET AND BEYOND, AND PARTICULARLY THEIR WORK IN ESTABLISHING SAFE BIKE LANES.
I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF POLICY, THIS POLICY ORDER, ESPECIALLY THE PART THAT ASKS CITY EMPLOYEES TO HALT FURTHER WORK ON RECONFIGURING GARDEN STREET.
INSTEAD, I URGE THE COUNSELORS TO REDISTRIBUTE THE MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE GONE TO REWORKING GARDEN STREET AND INSTEAD APPLY THOSE FUNDS TO ANALYZE AND INSTALL APPROPRIATELY.
THANK YOU NICOLE, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RON AXELROD.
I, FOR 48 YEARS I'VE LIVED AT 26 SHEPHERD STREET THAT WILL BE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY A RETURN TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC ON GARDEN STREET.
MY FIRM TAMS ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS TRAFFIC PLANNING GROUP HEADED BY DAVID BLACK WAS SELECTED BY THE CITY AND TO DEVELOP THE 1990S CITY TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM CITYWIDE, I ASKED THE CITY TO ADOPT POLICY ORDER TWO FOR FURTHER STUDY OF THE EXISTING ONE-WAY SYSTEM THAT KEEPS TRAFFIC CALMING WORKING FOR THE CITY.
I READ DIRECTLY FROM, UH, A RECENT PRESS ALLIANCE, LIVABLE STREETS ALLIANCE PRESS RELEASE TODAY.
TONIGHT CITY CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO KEEP A GARDEN STREET IN ITS CURRENT SAFER DESIGN OR B, SUPPORT A CHANGE TO A WORSE, LESS SAFE DESIGN.
I'LL PASS THIS POLICY ORDER OUT, UH, NOT THE POLICY ORDER, THE, UH, PRESS RELEASE OUT AS THE REST OF MY COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NATHAN WANG.
NATHAN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, MY NAME IS NATHAN WANG AND I LIVE NEARBY AT 42 PARKER STREET AND I'M IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER TOO.
I COMMUTE FOR WORK AND USE GARDEN STREET VERY FREQUENTLY ON MY BIKE.
UM, I BOTH BIKE AND DRIVE MY FREQUENT CAR FREQUENTLY IN THE AREA AND THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION IS EXTREMELY SAFE AND I FIND IT EASIER TO USE THAN THE PROPOSED CHANGE, UM, BOTH AS A BI CLIFF AND AS A CAR DRIVER.
THE PROPOSED CHANGE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PASSED IS DANGEROUS AS IT HAS TWO OPPOSING LANES OF BIKE TRAFFIC THAT CARS HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR, WHICH IS ALREADY HARD ENOUGH.
IN ADDITION, IT'LL COST CAMBRIDGE TAXPAYERS A LOT MORE MONEY TO CHANGE IT AND SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE STUDY HAS DONE.
UM, IN CONCLUSION, YES, I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH, TWO POLICY ORDER TWO, STOPPING THE WORK ORDER AND KEEPING IT AS IT IS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PATRICIA O'NEILL, FOLLOWED BY ALEX DICKEL.
HELLO, PATRICIA O'NEILL, 91 GARDEN STREET.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER TWO.
UM, IN 2022, UM, THIS GROUP DECIDED TO KEEP CAMBRIDGE A GREAT WALKING CITY AND A GREAT BIKING CITY AND UNFORTUNATELY IN 2025 WE REVERSED THAT AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAID IT WOULD BE LESS SAFE AND MORE CONGESTION, UM, WE VOTED TO REVERSE TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC.
I ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER THAT AND FOLLOW WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS ASKING YOU TO DO, WHICH IS KEEP GARDEN ONE WAY BUT ADJUST TO THE SIDE STREETS, WHICH I AGREE PROBABLY HAVE INCREASED TRAFFIC AND NEED TO BE HELPED OUT IN THAT REGARD.
BUT LET'S NOT MAKE, UM, A GOOD THING BAD BY OVERCORRECTING.
SO I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT IF YOU WERE A PARENT OF A CHILD WHO YOU WANNA PUT ON A BIKE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX DICKEL, FOLLOWED BY MARK BOSWELL AND ADAM LUBIN.
I TAKE GARDEN STREET EVERY DAY, UM, TO AND FROM MY HOUSE.
SO WHILE I DESPISE WHAT RE-LITIGATING THIS, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ORDER UP, UM, BECAUSE I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF IT AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNSELORS THAT ENGAGED ON THIS VIA EMAIL AS WELL.
UH, MY FIRST REASON FOR THIS IS THE COST WE'VE PAID FOR GARDEN STREET AS IS IT IS SAFE.
WE'VE PAID FOR THIS STUDY TO VERIFY THAT IT'S SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, WHICH THEN SAID CHANGING IT WILL BE, UH, WILL INCREASE CONGESTION AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT COST COULD BE RE THOSE FUNDS COULD BE REPURPOSED FOR CALMING MEASURES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE OTHER ISSUE HERE IS THAT CITY PLANNERS HAVE ALREADY TOLD US THAT GOING TO TWO A IS LESS SAFE, IT IS MORE CONGESTED.
AND FINALLY, THE POLITICS OF THIS, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED THAT THE
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COUNCIL VOTED YES, THAT WAS THE OLD COUNCIL, TWO OF WHO THOSE MEMBERS ARE NO LONGER HERE AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOU ARE ENDORSED BY CAMBRIDGE BIKE SAFETY ON A PROMISE TO NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT BIKING IN IN THE CITY.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARK BOSWELL.
MARK, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I LIVE AT 1 0 5 WALDEN STREET, CAMBRIDGE.
UH, SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, UH, I ASK THAT YOU VOTE YES ON THIS POLICY ORDER.
I'M A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE'S NEIGHBORHOOD NINE LIVING VERY CLOSE TO GARDEN STREET AND ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS WHO WISH TO TELL YOU THAT THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE PROPOSED CHANGE.
BACK TO TWO-WAY, A TWO-WAY STREET WITH A TWO-WAY BIKE LANE WILL NEVER BE SAFER OR SIMPLER THAN BIKE LANES ON EACH SIDE BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA TURNING CONFLICTS THAT ARE INTRODUCED.
I PREFER THE SLOWER CALMER TRAFFIC, UH, CAR TRAFFIC SPEEDS WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
I'M AFRAID A TWO-WAY STREET WILL GO BACK TO THE EXCESSIVE SPEEDING WE SAW BEFORE GARDEN STREET WAS REDESIGNED INITIALLY.
UM, FINALLY AS A VOLUNTEER WHO HELPS WITH THE GRAHAM AND PARK SCHOOL BIKE BUS, WHICH IS A WEEKLY GROUP RIDE FOR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL.
I CAN TELL YOU PARENTS, IF YOUNG CHILDREN DEFINITELY PREFER A GARDEN STREET AS IT IS, PLEASE VOTE.
WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 20, ADAM LUBIN, FOLLOWED BY PERRY LUBIN, THEN CHLOE HOCKEY.
ADAM, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS ADAM LUBAN.
I LIVE AT 22 COTTAGE PARK AVE AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, I'M A STUDENT AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
I'M ALSO ON THE CYCLING TEAM THERE AND I USE THE GARDEN STREET BIKE LANE DAILY TO GET ACROSS CAMBRIDGE.
THE CHANGES TO GARDEN STREET WILL MAKE IT LESS SAFE FOR MYSELF AND THE MANY OTHER PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS WHO USE THE BIKE LANE DAILY.
CAMBRIDGE IS CURRENTLY RANKED THE NUMBER FOUR CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE.
I UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE TO OUR BIKE LANES, BUT THEY SHOULD BE MADE AS A RESULT OF REASON.
DECISION MAKING BASED ON DATA, THE COUNCIL SHOULD PAUSE THE PROPOSED CHANGES WHILE THAT DATA IS COLLECTED SO THAT AN INFORMED DECISION CAN BE MADE ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL USERS OF GARDEN STREET.
OTHERWISE, WE ARE MAKING ARBITRARY ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE LOUD VOICES OF A FEW THAT WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY CLAIM TO SOLVE.
THIS IS CHRIS PERRY LUBIN PERRY LUBIN.
I LIVE ON, UH, GRAY GARDENS EAST, RIGHT OFF GARDEN STREET AND SPEAKING, UH, TODAY IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER TWO TO KEEP GARDEN STREET AS IT IS ONE WAY OPERATION FOR CARS.
UM, I'M ON THAT STREET WITH MY KIDS ON BIKES COUPLE TIMES EVERY DAY AND WE ALL REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE A FEW YEARS BACK AND CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL LIKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE PROPOSED WOULD MAKE THE GARDEN STREET LESS SAFE FOR US AND INCREASED CONGESTION AROUND, UH, SURROUNDING STREETS.
AND IN COMING TO THAT CONCLUSION IS NOT JUST MY GUESS, IT'S AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THAT'S THE FINDINGS OF THE CITY PROFESSIONAL STAFF WHO'VE LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE.
AND IN ALL THE DISCUSSION IN ALL THE YEARS ON THIS TOPIC, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY, SO I HOPE YOU'LL SUPPORT POLICY ORDER TOO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHLOE HOCK, FOLLOWED BY PVO SHAK.
HI EVERYONE, I'M CHLOE HAKI AND I LIVE AT ONE 12 VASSAL LANE IN CAMBRIDGE.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER ONE, UH, THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE HARVARD ACADEMIC WORKERS.
I'M A MEMBER OF HAW AND A LECTURER IN THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE PROGRAM AT HARVARD, WHICH IS TO SAY I AM AMONG THE 2,600 NON-PERMANENT FACULTY MEMBERS AND RESEARCHERS WHO DO MUCH OF THE DAILY TEACHING AND LAB WORK THAT KEEPS THE UNIVERSITY RUNNING.
I LOVE GETTING TO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE AND I TRY TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, BUT IT'S HARD TO BE AS GENEROUS AND COMMUNITY ORIENTED AS I'D LIKE TO BE WHEN MY EMPLOYER IS CONSTANTLY REMINDING ME THAT I WON'T BE HERE FOR LONG WHEN IT'S ENCOURAGING ME TO SPEND ALL MY FREE TIME APPLYING FOR JOBS ELSEWHERE AND WHEN IT'S REFUSING TO GRANT US COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS AND THUS EFFECTIVELY LOWERING MY SALARY IN FIGHTING FOR A FAIR CONTRACT.
HAW IS HOLDING HARVARD ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEING A GOOD EMPLOYER AND A GOOD NEIGHBOR, BOTH OF WHICH IN TURN HELP ITS EMPLOYEES INCLUDING ME TO BE BETTER MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PABLO CHAKRABARTI.
PABLO, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
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HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.I'M, UM, ASKING YOU TO REJECT POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UH, GARDEN STREET SHOULD BE RESTORED A TWO WAY.
SINCE THAT CHANGE WAS MADE, UH, ALL OF THE STREETS AROUND, UM, HAVE CARS THAT ARE TRYING TO GET AROUND IT.
UH, IT'S MUCH LESS SAFE ALL AROUND THE AREA.
MY DAUGHTER IS A FRESHMAN AT CRLS.
SHE'S ON THE TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY TEAM THAT PRACTICES AT DAN.
HE, SHE'S MUCH LESS SAFE FOR HER TO BIKE ALL AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ANYWHERE ELSE EXCEPT GARDEN STREET.
YOU CAN EASILY PRESERVE THE, THE, UM, THE BIKE LANES THERE AND MAKE ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE BY RESTORING GARDEN STREET TO TO, TO TWO WAY.
WE ALL SEE THE CARS ALL AROUND TRYING TO, UM, GET AROUND THAT IT'S AN ARTERIAL ROAD.
UM, AND IT UH, IT CREATES A LOT OF PRESSURE EVERYWHERE ELSE.
UM, THE CONS WAS RIGHT TO RESTORE IT TO, TO A PLEASE PRESERVE IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHLEEN CAP, FOLLOWED BY BENJAMIN FLAME, THEN DANIEL BLOCK.
MY NAME IS KATHLEEN CAPPLE AND I LIVE AT 52 GARDEN STREET.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE OWNED A CONDO THERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
I AM SPEAKING FOR AGENDA ITEM TWO, PLACING GARDEN STREET CONSTRUCTION ON HOLD.
FIVE YEARS AGO MY HUSBAND SUFFERED A STROKE THAT LEFT HIM WITH A LOSS OF SPEECH AS WELL AS RIGHT-SIDED WEAKNESS.
ON GOOD DAYS, HE LOOKS AS IF HE CAN WALK, OKAY, BUT IT AFFECTS HIS STAMINA AS WELL AS HIS ABILITY TO WALK QUICKLY.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER PHYSICAL CHALLENGES AS WELL THAT HAVE NECESS NECESSITATED FREQUENT VISITS TO URGENT CARE OR THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
WITH THE EXISTING CONFIGURATION ON GARDEN STREET, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST HIM TO THE CURB IN FRONT OF OUR BUILDING FOR UBER RIDES TO THE MANY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS WHEN HE WAS TOO WEAK TO WALK ANY FURTHER FOR TRANSPORTATION.
THE PROPOSED TWO-WAY TRAFFIC PLAN ELIMINATES THAT OPTION AND IT WILL BE MUCH MORE DANGEROUS FOR ALL OF US.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BENJAMIN FLAME, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL BLOCK BENJAMIN ONE MINUTE.
UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR CAMBRIDGE.
I CANNOT BELIEVE WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT GARDEN STREET
IT'S BEEN OVER THREE YEARS SINCE IT WAS CHANGED TO A ONE WAY, BUT THE REASON THIS KEEPS COMING UP IS BECAUSE THE CONFI CURRENT CONFIGURATION DOES NOT WORK.
THE ORIGINAL STUDY THAT LED TO THIS SITUATION WAS CONDUCTED IN THE THROES OF COVID WHEN THERE WAS FAR LESS TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS WEREN'T NOTIFIED OF WHAT WAS GOING ON FROM THE MINUTE THE CHANGE WAS IMPLEMENTED.
TRAFFIC ON SURROUNDING SMALLER STREETS BECAME A NIGHTMARE, PARTICULARLY DURING THE PM RUSH HOUR.
I CAN'T EVEN GET OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AFTER 4:00 PM WE NOW LIVE IN A CITY THAT IS BEING CONTROLLED BY ONE FACTION AND THAT DOES NOT FEEL FAIR.
THAT'S HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPERATES RIGHT NOW, NOT OUR CAMBRIDGE HERE.
THE COUNCIL REPRESENTS ALL CITIZENS, NOT JUST THE LOUDEST ONES.
THINK OF THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T HERE TONIGHT.
WE NEED TO RESPECT THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL.
IF WE DON'T RETURN GARDEN TO A TWO-WAY STREET FOR CARS, THIS ISSUE WILL NOT GO AWAY.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO STRIKE A TRUE COMPROMISE HERE, LISTENING TO BOTH SIDES AND ENSURING A PLAN THAT WORKS FOR CYCLISTS, PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS, RUNNERS, CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, AND THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO GET AROUND BY BIKE.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVE THAT WE'RE BETTER THAN DC.
PLEASE DO THAT TONIGHT BY VOTING NO OR PRESENT TO THIS SUPERFLUOUS POLICY ORDER.
BEN, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER.
YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN GO AHEAD.
MY NAME IS DANIEL VLOCK AT 50 BUCKINGHAM STREET.
I'M HEAD OF THE WEST CAMBRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION.
I'M RIDING IN OPPOSITION THE PROS OF POST PUBLIC POLICY TO REVERSE THE COUNCIL'S PREVIOUS DECISION TO DO CHANGES IN GARDEN STREET BACK TO A TWO-WAY STREET WITH BICYCLE LANES.
THE VOTE TO CHANGE GARDEN STREET BACK TO A TWO-WAY STREET WITH THE ADDITION OF BIKE LANES WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE DOCUMENT AND IT OBSERVED DETRIMENTAL IMPACT OF THE ONE-WAY CHANGE OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT WAS NOT DUE TO OBJECTIONS OF WHETHER THE USE OF BICYCLES ON CAMBRIDGE ROADS.
WHILE SOME BICYCLE ADVOCATES MAY OBJECT IN PRINCIPLE TO THE CHANGE, THAT IS NOT A SUFFICIENT REASON TO REVERSE THE PREVIOUS DECISION.
IF THEY CAN PROVIDE OBJECTIVE AND DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE AGREED UPON CHANGE BACK TO A TWO-WAY STREET, THEN AND ONLY THEN SHOULD A VOTE TO REVERSE THAT DECISION BE CONSIDERED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SYLVIA MANGAN.
I'M SYLVIA MANGAN AT 76TH SIXTH STREET AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM AHERN FIELD AND FROM MY OWN WINDOWS I CAN SEE THE VIBRANT COMMUNITY SPACE.
THIS FIELD IS SO MUCH MORE THAN AN AN ATHLETIC FACILITY.
I THINK OF IT AS MUCH LIKE CAMBRIDGE COMMONS, A VITAL COMMUNITY SPACE IN A DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE CONVENIENCE OF TURF, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
AS A FORMER ATHLETE, I'M CONCERNED AT THE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY PLAYERS EXPERIENCE ON TURF FIELDS.
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I CAN, I'M CONCERNED AT THE FOREVER CHEMICALS AND MICROPLASTICS THAT TURF FIELDS LEACH INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.THE INCREASED HEAT RETENTION IN AN ALREADY DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE RISK OF MY 10 MONTH OLD EATING THE RUBBER FROM THE FIELD.
TO BE HONEST, AS A HOMEOWNER, I AM ALSO CONCERNED AT THE INCREASED RISK OF FLOODING CREATED BY LOSS OF THIS GRASSY AREA.
THIS REGION IS A SWAMP HISTORICALLY AND OUR BASEMENTS AND FOUNDATIONS ARE ALREADY AT RISK.
AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I'M CONCERNED AT THE LOSS OF THIS COMMUNAL, TEMPERATE, GRASSY AREA.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE TO RETAIN NATURAL GRASS AT AHERN FIELD RATHER THAN REPLACE THE ENTIRE FIELD WITH SYNTHETIC TURF.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM YOUNG.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE YOUNG KIM, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF YOUNG.
WE WILL COME BACK TO YOUNG KIM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREA CARLS FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER BRITTON LINAC.
I SPEAK IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
I HAVE OWNED A CONDO AT 52 GARDEN STREET FOR 19 YEARS AND I'M NOW 80 YEARS OLD.
I HAVE LOWER BACK PAINS, FACE UPCOMING SURGERIES AND MOVE MORE SLOWLY THAN I ONCE DID.
I HAVE SEEN OTHER RESIDENTS SLOW DOWN TOO.
WE ARE AN AGING GROUP MORE OFTEN NOW WE NEED TO USE CANES, CRUTCHES, OR WALKERS.
OUR MOBILITY WILL INEVITABLY DECREASE FURTHER MAKING CROSSING STREETS MORE HAZARDOUS AND PUTTING OUR LIVES AT RISK.
I LIKE THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
ONCE I GOT USED TO WATCHING FOR BICYCLES AND SCOOTERS, I FELT MUCH SAFER HAVING TO JUDGE THE TIME FOR CROSSING WITH CARS COMING FROM ONLY ONE DIRECTION, THE THOUGHT OF THE RESTORATION OF TWO-WAY TRAFFIC ALONG WITH TWO BIKE LANES ALARMS ME.
I SHOP AT PORTER SQUARE AND OFTEN USE THE TAXI TO BRING ME BACK.
UNLOADING GROCERIES FROM THE TAXI ON THE FAR SIDE OF GARDEN STREET AND THEN CROSSING SHEPHERD AND GARDEN STREET WOULD BE LONGER AND FAR MORE DANGER THAN UNLOADING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
I URGE YOU TO RAY OUR SAFETY AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER TWO.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO YOUNG KIM YOUNG.
IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
SARAH, YOUR SOUND IS A BIT DISTORTED.
WE'RE JUST GETTING BITS AND PIECES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN GET CLOSER TO YOUR MIC.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A COLD AND UH, THAT'S WHY AND UH, SOMEHOW I HAVE AN ECHO HERE.
I SAID UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF THIS ECHO.
DO YOUNG, IF YOU CAN SIGN OUT OF ZOOM, SIGN BACK IN, RAISE YOUR HAND WHEN YOU'RE BACK IN THE ZOOM AND I'LL CALL ON YOU AGAIN.
WE ARE GONNA GO TO ANDREA CARLS THEN JENNIFER FOLLOWED BY NADI.
FOR THOSE WAITING WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER.
I'M SORRY, WE'RE GONNA GO TO JENNIFER.
UM, MY NAME IS JENNIFER BRIT COLONIES.
I LIVE AT 2 0 9 HURLEY STREET.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON AGENDA NUMBER THREE TO KEEP AIR AND FIELD WITH GRASS.
AS A NURSE PRACTITIONER WORKING IN ENDOCRINOLOGY, I SEE THE HARMS OF PFAS OR FOREVER CHEMICALS AS ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS.
MY DAUGHTER IS A SOCCER PLAYER AND DOES HER GAMES AND PRACTICES AT DANNY PARK AND AT RUSSELL FIELD, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE TURF RATHER THAN GRASS.
HONESTLY, THE TURF SHE PLAYS ON CONCERNS ME, BUT WE CAN'T UNDO THOSE FIELDS FOR THESE REASONS.
I URGE YOU TO KEEP AARON FIELD AS GRASS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NA TREV, FOLLOWED BY PAUL LIA.
I LIVE AT MAGOON 41 MAGOON STREET NORTH CAMBRIDGE.
UH, I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, UH, ON GARDEN STREET.
UH, YEARS AGO I USED TO BIKE UP AND DOWN GARDEN STREET, UH, ALMOST EVERY DAY FOR MY
[00:40:01]
WORK COMMUTE, UM, BEFORE THE CURRENT SETUP WAS IN PLACE AND IT ALWAYS FELT A BIT UNSAFE.UH, THE CURRENT SETUP WITH ONE-WAY TRAFFIC, DRIVING TRAFFIC AND TWO-WAY BIKING.
I FIND MUCH BETTER AS A BIKER AND AS A DRIVER.
I ACTUALLY JUST DROVE DOWN GUARDIAN STREET ABOUT 10 MINUTES AGO.
OUR CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND BELIEVE THAT THE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT ARE PROPOSED ON THE SIDE STREETS, UH, IS REASONABLE AND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND THE, UH, EXISTENCE OF SOME PARKING ON GUARDIAN STREET TOWARDS HARVARD SQUARE, WHICH WE USE AS WELL.
SO I HOPE THE CITY COUNCIL WILL PASS POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAUL OGLE.
I OWN MY HOME AT NINE DASH FIVE BELLA CIRCLE.
I FIRST MOVED TO CAMBRIDGE IN 2013.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, LEAVING GARDEN STREET AS IT IS AND IMPROVING SAFETY AND TRAFFIC MITIGATIONS ON NEARBY STREETS.
MY DAILY BIKE COMMUTE IS DOWN SHERMAN STREET TO GARDEN STREET TO BROADWAY AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THE CHANGES TO GARDEN STREET HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE IS IMPROVED SAFETY IMPROVED THE INTERSECTION OF GARDEN AND HURON AND THESE ARE BOTH VERY GOOD.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO SPEND SCARCE STEEP W RESOURCES ON CHANGING GARDEN STREET.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT SOLUTION THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED AFTER EXTENSIVE STUDY AND THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT REROUTED TRAFFIC ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD TO ADDRESS BICYCLE SAFETY IS AN IMPORTANT AREA FOR ME.
IN TWO WEEKS I'LL BE UNDERGOING SURGERY TO REMOVE A BONE FROM MY RIGHT HAND.
I FELL DUE TO POORLY MAINTAINED PAVEMENT AFTER THE SNOWSTORMS. AND I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF A BETTER ALLOCATION OF DPW BUDGET WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THAT.
SURELY WE WOULD BE BETTER SERVED SPENDING OUR BUDGET MITIGATING MORE DANGEROUS STREETS.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO YOUNG KIM FOLLOWED BY ANDRE KRIK YOUNG.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ANDRE OR WAS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY CONGRATULATING SARAH RIVERA ON THE APPOINTMENT TO ELECTION COMMISSION AND WISH A SUCCESS.
I AM ASKING COUNTY TO REJECT CMA NUMBER TWO ON TRANSPARENCY GROUND AND TO CHECK POLICY ORDER TO ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ROUTE THE CITY MANAGER'S TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROTECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION AND RATIONAL AID.
WITHOUT THAT, THE COUNSEL, THE PUBLIC, UH, BS TO ACT OUT BASIS
PLEASE BE SURE TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS.
ANDRE KOIC FOLLOWED BY ANNA, A STORY THEN MICHAEL ROGO.
I LIVE ON 80 8:00 AM STREET, APARTMENT 9 0 3 AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
TURF IS NICE, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
I'VE PLAYED A LOT OF SPORTS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, BUT IT'S GOOD FOR FIELDS, NOT PARKS.
AHERN PARK IS A GENERAL USE SPACE.
TURF IS GOOD FOR SPECIALIZED FIELDS AND PLACES THAT YOU CAN KEEP IT ISOLATED FROM THE GENERAL MESSINESS OF NATURE AND WHERE YOU DON'T NEED THAT FLEXIBILITY OF GRASS.
IF WE WERE TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL ON A TURF FIELD, WHERE WOULD WE STAKE OUR NETS? I DON'T SEE ANY PLACE FOR NETS ON THE PLAN.
FURTHERMORE, THE POINT ABOUT REDUCING MAINTENANCE COSTS SEEMS STRANGE WHEN GRASS WOULD STILL BE LEFT ON THE FIELD.
WHAT'S THE MARGINAL COST OF MOWING A WHOLE FIELD VERSUS MOWING? ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF IT.
FURTHER TWO OTHER PARKS THAT ARE CITED AS SUCCESS STORIES.
RUSSELL PARK AND DANEE ALSO BOTH HAVE ISOLATED AREAS FOR THEIR TURF FIELDS AND THEY HAVE GRASS NEARBY FOR DOGS AND FOR PICNICS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNA, A STORY FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL ROGO.
I'M AN EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, REQUESTING
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A PAUSE ON CONVERTING A HEARN FIELD TO SYNTHETIC TURF.A HEARN FIELD IS NOT JUST A SPORTS FACILITY.
IT IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ONLY, UM, NATURAL GREEN SPACES ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS IN A, UM, ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOODS IN CAMBRIDGE WHERE MANY PEOPLE HAVE NO PRIVATE OUTDOOR SPACE.
WITH GOAT STAR MOTHER PARK CLOSED FOR A MULTI-YEAR CONTAMINATION, UH, REMEDIATION, EAST CAMBRIDGE HAS ALREADY LOST SIGNIFICANT OPEN SPACE.
REPLACING A HEARN FIELD WITH SYNTHETIC TURF NOW WOULD COMPOUND THAT LOSS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.
WE'RE NOT ASKING THE CITY TO STOP INVESTING IN AHERN FIELD.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A BALANCED APPROACH, A WELL MAINTAINED NATURAL GRASS FIELD WITH IMPROVED, UM, DRAINAGE AND MANATEES.
MICHAEL ROGO FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN HUNT, THEN ETHAN FRANK, ONE MINUTE.
I'M MICHAEL VIRGO FROM 65 SPARK STREET.
SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER TWO, ON BEHALF OF THE FOUR FAMILIES, FOUR ZERO TO ONE CAR HOUSEHOLDS, NINE CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS INCLUDING A CURRENT AND FUTURE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT WHO WILL ALL LIVE IN OUR BUILDING.
MOST OF 'EM CANNOT BE HERE DUE TO CAREGIVING NEEDS.
WE LIVE ON ONE OF THE ROUGHLY PARALLEL STREETS IMPACTED BY GARDEN STREET CONFIGURATION CHANGES.
I KNOW THE COUNCIL IS REALLY NOT EXCITED TO TAKE THIS UP.
YOU ARE THE ARBITERS OF THE PUBLIC WAY.
CITY TRAFFIC IS UP CITYWIDE AND THE CALMING, UM, EFFECT ON NEARBY FIELD STREET FROM JUST A COUPLE OF SPEED HUMPS IS PALPABLE.
LET'S KEEP, IT'S IN FRONT OF THE UNIVERSAL PLAYGROUND.
LET'S KEEP MAKING THAT PROGRESS.
LET'S CALM THE STREETS ALL THE WAY FROM NEW STREET TO FIELD STREET TO SHERMAN STREET, RAYMOND HAM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HARVARD SQUARE.
MY NEIGHBORS AND I APPLIED ONLINE AND WE'RE THRILLED TO LEARN THAT WE'LL BE RECEIVING SPEED HUMPS ON SPARK STREET THAT IS POPULAR POLICY ON THE PUBLIC WAY.
LET'S DIRECT OUR LIMITED FUNDS THERE.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLYN HUNT, FOLLOWED BY ETHAN FRANK.
HI, MY NAME'S CAROLYN HUNT AND I LIVE AT 1 0 6 BERKSHIRE STREET.
UM, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF PO NUMBER THREE.
I'M VERY, WITH RESPECT TO A HEARN FIELD.
NEIGHBORS AND USERS OF THE FIELD WERE ASKED FOR INPUT, BUT WHEN WE OVERWHELMINGLY EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR GRASS AND AGAINST PLASTIC TURF, WE WERE IGNORED.
I'M ASKING FOR A PAUSE ON THIS PROJECT AND FOR THE CITY TO HAVE A FULL TRANSPARENT COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT I THINK WILL LEAD TO THE OPPOSITE CONCLUSION.
I'M ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER.
MY CHILD HAS BEEN PLAYING SOCCER WITH CYS FOR SIX YEARS AND HAS PLAYED ON MANY DIFFERENT FIELDS ACROSS THE CITY.
HE AND ALL OF HIS CYS FRIENDS PREFER PLAYING ON GRASS EVEN WHEN IT'S OVERLY DRY OR OVERLY WET.
THEY PREFER IT TO PLAYING ON ARTIFICIAL TURF, WHICH IS HOT, SCRATCHY AND LEAVES ALL OF US WITH TINY LITTLE BITS OF CHOPPED UP OLD CAR TIRES IN OUR SHOES, IN OUR CLOTHES.
CYS DOES NOT SPEAK FOR ALL OR EVEN MOST CYS PLAYERS OR FAMILIES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ETHAN FRANK, FOLLOWED BY JASON TARGA, THEN ANDREW RA.
ETHAN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO RIDE ON GARDEN STREET FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST MONTH AND I FOUND IT TO BE VERY ENJOYABLE AND VERY SAFE IN THEIR PRESENTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, SHOWED THAT A TWO-WAY GARDEN STREET WOULD BE LESS SAFE, NOT ADDRESS TRAFFIC CONCERNS, AND ALSO REMOVE PARKING AND LOADING ZONES.
INSTEAD OF REVERTING THE RESULTS OF A LONG AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY PROCESS, WE SHOULD SPEND OUR TIME AND MONEY ON MAKING THE REST OF THE CITY SAFER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JASON TARGA, FOLLOWED BY ANDREW FERRA, THEN BETH GEY.
I'M SPEAKING AS THE PRESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE YOUTH'S SOCCER IN FAVOR OF PUTTING ARTIFICIAL TURF IN AT AHERN FIELD.
WE'RE, WE ARE A PROGRAM THAT HAS NOW, UH, REACHED 2,400 KIDS THIS AC THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, AND WE'VE RAISED THEIR NUMBERS BY FOCUSING ON PLAY AND GETTING KIDS TO HAVE FUN BY PLAYING.
UM, AND WE'VE, WE'VE SO MUCH SO THAT WE'VE FORMALIZED INFORMAL PLAY AS PART OF OUR PRACTICES.
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EVERY COACH AT CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER, UM, IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A PERIOD OF INFORMAL PLAY AT THE BEGINNING OF PRACTICE.UM, AND WE DO THAT BECAUSE OUR VISION, WE TAKE OUR VISION VERY SERIOUSLY IS A COMMUNITY OF HAPPY AND HEALTHY CHILDREN IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
WE KNOW THE STATE OF CHILDREN IN THE, IN, IN THE UNITED STATES IS THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH PLAY, TOO MUCH PHONE, NOT ENOUGH PLAY.
AND WE FIND THAT IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GET KIDS TO PLAY IN NORTH AND WEST CAMBRIDGE WHERE THERE ARE GOOD FIELDS THAN IT IS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE.
OUR NUMBERS ARE MUCH HIGHER IN NORTH AND WEST.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW FERRA, FOLLOWED BY BETH GEY.
I LIVE AT FORT LAWRENCE STREET IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS AND HAVE FOR 45 YEARS.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY REGARDING POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
I'M SPEAKING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR PLAY, NOT FOR SOCCER, BUT FOR PLAY.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN.
THERE ARE STATES AND CITIES MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PROJECTS, NOT ABOUT FIELDS, BUT ABOUT ROADS AND THE INSTALLATION OF GRAVEL ROADS.
AS A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND DECISION, A GRAVEL ROAD MAY BE A GOOD SOLUTION FOR LIMITED TRAFFIC.
IT IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR A ROAD USED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE WOULD SUGGEST THAT CAMBRIDGE REVERT TO GRAVEL ROADS.
CAMBRIDGE IS ONE OF THE TOP 10, SORRY.
TOP 30 MOST DENSELY CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN DEMANDS FIRST RATE PLAY FACILITIES THAT CAN MEET THAT POPULATION DEMAND.
ARE THERE TRADE-OFFS? OF COURSE.
AND I BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD ADDRESS THOSE TRADE-OFFS AND THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD ACCEPT THEM OR UNDERSTAND THEM AND BE ABLE TO DEBATE THEM.
THANK FOR ME, ANDREW, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER.
THIS IS BETH SEY WALKER STREET WHERE UH, MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED FOR NEARLY 33 YEARS.
UM, AND I AM URGING THE COUNCIL TO VOTE NO FOR POLICY FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
WE FACE DAILY CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT SITUATION ON GARDEN STREET AND I THINK MOST OF THOSE CHALLENGES ARE FROM UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF PRIORITIZING BICYCLE SAFETY.
WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THE PROPOSED PLAN IS THAT IT MAINTAINS BICYCLE SAFETY AND ALSO ATTENDS TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACED BY RESIDENTS OF THE NEARBY STREETS.
WE HAVE FACED MUCH MORE AND MUCH FASTER TRAFFIC, MORE SAFETY HAZARDS AS CYCLISTS AND SCOOTERS USE THE WRONG BIKE LANES TO TRAVEL ON GARDEN STREET.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING GARDEN STREET RETURN TO TWO WAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELLEN BLUMENTHAL, FOLLOWED BY JENNA ODETTE.
THEN SARAH BLOCK ELLEN YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
GO AHEAD ELLEN, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I'M SORRY I'M THE WRONG ELLEN.
I'M NOT ELLEN BLUMENTHAL, SORRY.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
I SO I DON'T SEE ELLEN BLUMENTHAL.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO JANA ODETTE.
WE WILL GO TO SARAH BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY EMMETT VAUGHN STACKELBERG.
FIRST MOVED TO CAMBRIDGE IN 1970.
I AM SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER TWO.
I'M A LITTLE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IN 2022 WHEN THE CHANGE WAS MADE, PEOPLE ON RAYMOND STREET COMPLAINED OF DANGER BEFORE 2022.
PEOPLE HAVE ON RAYMOND STREET COMPLAINED OF DANGER AND THEY'RE STILL COMPLAINING AND NOTHING'S BEEN DONE AS I THINK SINCE THE ONLY THING I REMEMBER EVER HAPPENING ON RAYMOND IS THEY TOOK AWAY THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE END OF RAYMOND AND WALDEN, WHICH REDUCED, MADE IT FASTER.
AND UM, AND UH, EVERYTHING I'VE READ FROM THE ANALYSIS BY THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TELLS ME THAT CHANGING GARDEN TO TWO WAYS WITH TWO BIKE LANES WILL MAKE THE SITUATION ON RAYMOND STREET WORSE.
UH, I CAN READ A LITTLE PIECE, UM, BUT BASICALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THE SIGNAL AT THE FIREHOUSE
[00:55:01]
WILL BECOME ABOUT A MINUTE LONGER AND EACH CAR WILL HAVE LESS TIME TO GO THROUGH.SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE CARS TRYING TO CUT AROUND THAT LIGHT AND EVERYBODY WHO'S IN QUEUE THERE WILL BE WAITING LONGER SO YOU'LL HAVE MORE CONGESTION, WHICH IS WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED AFTER MEASURING ALL THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TRAFFIC EVERYWHERE.
YOU CAN EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EMMIT V STACKELBERG, FOLLOWED BY CHARLES KK.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HELLO, MY NAME IS EMMETT VON STACKELBERG AND I LIVE AT 60 97 CAMBRIDGE STREET.
I'M SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER ONE.
I TEACH HISTORY AND LITERATURE AT HARVARD AND I'M ONE OF OVER 2,600 TEACHERS AND RESEARCHERS ON CAMPUS WHO HAVE UNIONIZED WITH HARVARD ACADEMIC WORKERS.
I'VE LIVED IN MID CAMBRIDGE SINCE 2023 AND I LOVE LIVING HERE.
BUT THE UNIVERSITY REGARDS MY JOB AS TEMPORARY, NO MATTER HOW WELL I TEACH, AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH I CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNIVERSITY AND TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
HARVARD ACADEMIC WORKERS, ALONG WITH OUR SIBLING UNION, HARVARD GRADUATE STUDENTS UNITED IS WORKING TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS THAT WILL HELP HOLD HARVARD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE THE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
IT EMPLOYS THE COUNCIL SUPPORT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW BODIES ABLE TO HOLD HARVARD TO ACCOUNT FOR BE, FOR BEING NOT MERELY A GOOD BUSINESS, BUT A UNIVERSITY THAT TAKES SERIOUSLY ITS MISSION AND ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS EMPLOYEES AND ITS NEIGHBORS.
WE VALUE OUR TIES TO HARVARD AND TO CAMBRIDGE AND WANT TO KEEP THEM.
HELP US STOP HARVARD FROM FORCING US OUT OF OUR JOBS AND FREQUENTLY OUT OF CAMBRIDGE TOO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHARLES KK.
I DO NOT SEE CHARLES ON THE ZOOM.
WE WILL GO TO ABIGAIL LEWIS BOWEN, FOLLOWED BY TINA LIU.
UH, MY NAME IS ABIGAIL LEWIS BONE.
I LIVE AT 80 THORN DECK STREET AND THIS EVENING I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE EAST CAMBRIDGE OPEN SPACE TRUST OF WHICH I AM A TRUSTEE.
THE OPEN SPACE TRUST DOES SUPPORT, UH, POLICY NUMBER THREE, UH, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF HOW THE DECISION TO PUT, UM, ARTIFICIAL TURF AT A HEARN FIELD WAS, WAS ARRIVED AT.
WE'D ALSO ASK THAT THE REPORT GO FURTHER AND ADDRESS, UM, WHETHER THE CITY HAS FULLY EXPLORED AN IMPROVEMENT IN DRAINAGE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE FIELD.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ALLEGATIONS OF POOR MAINTENANCE, POOR DRAINAGE, IT NEVER REALLY GOT SET UP WELL AND WE JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVIDENCE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM THAT RESEARCH SUPPORTS, UM, CLOSING THE GAP FOR PLAYABLE HOURS WITH A BETTER, UH, WITH AN IMPROVEMENT IN DRAINAGE AND, UH, MAINTENANCE ON NATURAL GRASS FIELDS.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE STATEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, UM, THAT WERE PRESENTED IN A COMMUNITY MEETING ABOUT PFAS AND RECYCLING.
WE JUST ASK THE COUNCIL TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THOSE STATEMENTS FOR THEIR V VALIDITY.
WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH OUR LIST.
TINA LIU, FOLLOWED BY BILL VINNEY.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS TINA LIU AT 37 HURON APP NUMBER ONE.
UM, SPEAKING ON POLICY NUMBER TWO, I'M IN FAVOR OF KEEPING GARDEN STREET AS IS, UM, BECAUSE I JUST THINK IT'S SAFER FOR THE BIKERS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN CRS RUSSELL FIELD AND HOME.
AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, I WOULD ASK THE CITY TO ACT ON THE FINDINGS FROM, I THINK IT WAS OVER A YEAR AGO, THERE WAS A WALKING TOWARDS TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC CONCERNS FOR SURROUNDING STREET AREAS, ESPECIALLY FOR SAFETY.
AND I HEARD FROM THE GROUP THAT HAD, UM, BEEN INVOLVED THAT THERE WAS NO FOLLOWUP FROM THE CITY AFTER AN HOUR'S LONG WALKING AND LISTENING SESSION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL MCY FOLLOWED, EXCUSE ME, FOLLOWED BY DAVID MARINI, THEN ANDREW ONG.
BILL, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, BILL NEY 12 DOUGLAS STREET.
I'M AN ELDERLY PEDESTRIAN WHO HAS TO FREQUENTLY CO CROSS GARDEN STREET NEAR CONCORD AVE.
AND PRIOR TO IT BEING ONE WAY, IT WAS THE WORST INTERSECTION THAT I HAVE HAD TO CROSS.
UM, IT'S THE ONLY PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE THAT I'VE HAD SOMEONE ACTUALLY VEER TOWARDS ME TRYING TO RUN ME OVER WHILE I WAS IN A CROSSWALK WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE, A TRUCK WITH A NEW HAMPSHIRE PLATE.
UM, THIS SINCE THE CHANGE TO ONE WAY, IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE SAFEST CROSSINGS THAT I CROSS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN IT WAS TWO WAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT FROM CAMBRIDGE, RUSHING OUT OF CAMBRIDGE IGNORED CROSSWALKS.
[01:00:01]
DO NOT THROW US ELDERLY PEDESTRIANS UNDER THE CARS AND KEEP GARDEN STREET THE WAY IT IS WITH A SINGLE WAY TRAFFIC.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID MARINI, FOLLOWED BY ANDREW ONG, THEN MAX KAPLAN.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M, UH, ORIGINALLY FROM ITALY.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN CAMBRIDGE FOR DECADES AND I'M SUPER GRATEFUL TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE AND VIBRANT.
I'M ALSO AN ENGINEER AND MY PROFESSION, WE HAVE A SAYING, UH, THERE ARE NO SOLUTIONS.
SO FROM MY OWN PERSPECTIVE, THE CURRENT DESIGN OF GARDEN STREET IS THE BEST.
UH, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS USED TO ARRIVE AT THAT SOLUTION.
AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, AS AN ITALIAN, I WAS VERY POSITIVELY IMPRESSED BY, BY THE PROCESS.
SO I WAS SURPRISED BY, BY THE CHANGE COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO MY, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF, UH, KEEPING GARDEN STREET AS IS.
I'VE NOTICED, UH, TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF SAFETY SINCE, UH, THE PREVIOUS DESIGN.
AND, UH, AS A BIKER, AS A PEDESTRIAN, AS, AND, UH, ALSO AS AN AUTOMOBILE DRIVER.
I, I THINK THIS IS THE BEST SOLUTION THAT WE HAVE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW ONG, FOLLOWED BY KELLY SHERMAN.
JOE ALETTA, THEN REBECCA BJORK.
ANDREW, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS ANDREW ONG AND I LIVE AT 64 WILLOW STREET.
UH, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT POLICY NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE, BUT I WILL FOCUS ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
UH, I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE INSTALLATION OF TURF FIELD AT AHERN FIELD.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY GREEN SPACES FOR A HALF A MILE RADIUS IN ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOODS IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UH, THE PARK ON GORE STREET, GOLD STAR MOTHER PARK IS ALSO UNDER CONSTRUCTION, ELIMINATING ONE OF THE OTHER LARGE GREEN SPACES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE.
THIS FIELD IS HEAVILY USED BY RESIDENTS, FAMILIES, AND LOCAL USE PROGRAMING, AND NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SAFETY AND FREQUENT IN THE FIELD.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WHEN KLO IS USED AGAIN, THOSE CHILDREN WILL PRIMARILY USE THIS FIELD AS THEIR OUTDOOR SPACE.
THIS PROPOSED PLAN HAS SEEMINGLY NOT RECEIVED ANY INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M ASKING FOR SOME CLARITY ON THE PROCESS OF HOW THIS PLANNER WAS PROPOSED AND DEVELOPED.
PLEASE STOP THIS PROJECT AND RETAIN GRASS AT ARON FIELD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MAX KAPLAN MAX.
HI, MAX KAPLAN, 45 YORKS ROAD.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER TWO, KEEPING GARDEN STREET, AS IS THE CURRENT GARDEN STREET SETUP IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BIKE FACILITY IN THE CITY.
I'LL GO OUT OF MY WAY TO RIDE ON GARDEN STREET BECAUSE OF HOW SAFE IT FEELS.
PLEASE DON'T WASTE CITY MONEY AND TEAR UP OUR AWESOME BIKE LANES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MAGGIE BARRETTS, FOLLOWED BY PAMELA BLAU, THEN SUNNY GUPTA.
MAGGIE, HI, I AM MAGGIE BARRETTS.
I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
I UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION FOR THE TWO-WAY CONVERSION IS FOR LESS CONGESTION AND LESS CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON SIDE STREETS WORTHY GOALS.
HERE'S WHAT THIS CITY REPORT HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
A TWO-WAY GARDEN STREET PRESENTED CHALLENGES AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
A GARDEN STREET THAT IS TWO WAVE FOR VEHICLES FOR THE FULL LENGTH WOULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS THAT THE LINEAN STREET SIGNAL AND THE CONCORD AVE SIGNAL.
UNDER THIS ALTERNATIVE, IT WOULD TAKE LONGER TO CYCLE THROUGH TRAFFIC SIGNAL PHASES CAUSING ADDITIONAL DELAYS AND LIKELY BACKUPS FOR ALL TRAVELERS AT THESE INTERSECTIONS.
THAT'S THE WHOLE BALLGAME RIGHT THERE.
THE TWO-WAY SOLUTION MAKES IT WORSE.
THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU ALL PAUSE.
WHEN TRAFFIC IS MORE BACKED UP ON GARDEN, IT WILL STILL FLOW TO RAYMOND STREET, AND IN THE MEANTIME, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE YOU'VE HEARD DESCRIBED TONIGHT.
PLEASE USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO GATHER ANY DATA AT ALL THAT SHOWS THERE WILL BE A SINGLE POSITIVE OUTCOME TO THIS CONVERSION PROJECT.
THAT'S ALL I ASK, ALONG WITH 718 OF MY CAMBRIDGE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO SIGNED THE PETITION.
THIS VOTE ISN'T A FLIP FLOP ON POLICY.
IT'S A VOTE TO LEAVE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE.
THE NEXT FEW SPEAKERS ARE NOT IN THE ZOOM.
I WILL CALL THEM IN CASE THEY'RE IN THE ROOM.
MY NAME IS ANDREW GANG OF FRANCIS PLACE.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO TO HALT THE RECONFIGURATION OF GARDEN STREET.
UH, FIRST THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS RIGHT.
THE TWO-WAY PROPOSAL WAS A RUSHED AND RUN AROUND THE PROCESS THAT HAD OCCURRED BEFORE.
[01:05:01]
AND THANKS ESPECIALLY FOR TAKING THE TIME FOR THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS TO SAVE US FROM WHAT, UH, MAGGIE BRATZ HAD JUST TOLD US WOULD BE AN EXPENSIVE LESSON ABOUT INDUCED DEMAND PARADOXES.UM, MY INTEREST IN THIS REMAINS MOSTLY SELFISH.
AS A GARDEN STREET BIKER, I WOULD LIKE TO NOT DIE, AND I HOPE YOU NEVER JUST TAKE MY OPPONENT'S WORD FOR WHAT COUNTS AS SAFE.
UH, BUT IF I MAY POINT OUT OUR COMMON GROUND, UH, THAT TRAFFIC, PROBABLY MOST OF WHICH ISN'T EVEN GOING TO OR FROM CAMBRIDGE, NOBODY WHO IS PART OF THAT TRAFFIC WANTS TO BE THERE EITHER.
UH, AND INCREASINGLY SO RIGHT BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE ECONOMY, THE PARKING SITUATION, LIKE I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW HAPPY MY FATHER-IN-LAW WAS WHEN HIS CAR GOT TOTALED.
UM, THE WAY GARDEN STREET IS NOW MAKES NOT DRIVING MORE OF AN OPTION FOR ME AND OTHERS.
AND THERE ARE, I THINK, ARE STILL MANY THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT KIND OF A DIFFERENCE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KELLY SHERMAN, FOLLOWED BY JOE ALETTA THAN REBECCA VJO KELLY.
I LIVE AT 71 FULKERSON STREET DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM AHERN FIELD.
I'M A CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT, LONG TIME A PARENT, AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER THREE.
I WANNA THANK MAYOR SIDIKI, COUNCILOR NOLAN AND COUNCILOR MCGOVERN FOR SPONSORING THIS ORDER BECAUSE IT ASKED THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING BASIC.
UM, REALLY JUST TO SHOW THE WORK BEFORE THAT'S GONE INTO, UM, MAKING THIS DECISION BEFORE ASKING ALL THE NEARBY RESIDENTS TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
UM, MY FAMILY AND I USE THE FIELD MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, EVERY DAY, EVERY MORNING I GATHER THERE WITH A SCHOOL, SMALL GROUP OF NEIGHBORS, AND WE'VE WATCHED THE SEASON CHANGE ON THAT FIELD EVERY MORNING.
IT'S NOT JUST A FACILITY TO US, IT'S OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE.
AND FOR MANY RESIDENTS WITHOUT A YARD OR AN OUTDOOR SPACE OF OUR OWN, IT'S THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE.
WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT NO ONE APPEARS TO HAVE RIGOR RIGOROUSLY ASSESSED HOW IT'S ACTUALLY USED BEFORE CONVERTING IT.
SO I SUPPORT THIS, UM, ORDER AND ASK THE COUNCIL TO ASK FOR CITYWIDE USAGE ASSESSMENT OF THE FIELDS ACROSS CAMBRIDGE, INCLUDING SOCCER AND BASEBALL.
JOE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK JUST FOR A MINUTE ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
UM, IT DOES SEEM TO ME, UH, THAT OVERALL THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAILURE IN GOVERNANCE RATHER THAN, UH, RATHER THAN SPECIFICALLY GEARED TOWARDS ATHLETIC FACILITY VERSUS NOT.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BEFORE THE PROPOSED CHANGE WAS INITIATED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STUDIED AS THE, AS THE LAST SPEAKER JUST SAID, UM, IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CITY ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO WITH THE PIECE OF LAND, RIGHT? IF IT STAYS, UH, A PARK LIKE CAMBRIDGE COMMON, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, IF IT'S DETERMINED THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A MULTI-USE SEASON LONG ATHLETIC FIELD FOR GAME AFTER GAME AFTER GAME, UM, THE USE OF GRASS IN NEW ENGLAND IN PARTICULAR, UH, IS CERTAINLY SUBOPTIMAL FOR.
AND I SUSPECT FOR THAT REASON, UH, YOU KNOW, DANEE PARK WAS CONVERTED, UH, TO TURF.
UM, MOREOVER, THE DANEE TURF, UM, WAS STUDIED INDEPENDENTLY, UH, AND USES WOOD INFILL.
UM, I DON'T THINK TURF IS THE END OF THE WORLD AS A PARENT OF FOUR KIDS WHO'VE ALL PLAYED CYS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS REBECCA BJORK, FOLLOWED BY EDMAR TURNER.
HI, MY NAME IS REBECCA BJORK AND I LIVE AT 20 CONCORD AVENUE, AND I AM SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER THREE TO KEEP GARDEN AS IT IS.
AS MANY HAVE SAID, THE CHANGE TO GARDEN FROM GARDEN TO TWO WAY TO ONE WAY HAS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED MY LIFE AS A MULTIMODAL USER OF GARDEN STREET.
UM, MY BIGGEST THING ABOUT THIS CHANGE THAT WAS SO GOOD IS IT ELIMINATED A LOT OF THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON GARDEN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ARGUED THAT GARDEN SHOULD BE USED FOR CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, BUT ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT GARDEN KNOWS THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENTION.
UM, NOW THE CITY NEEDS TO TAKE THE STEPS TO ELIMINATE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON THE OTHER ROADS LIKE RAYMOND.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I EXPERIENCED ON GARDEN SO MANY TIMES WHEN I WAS CYCLING WAS HOW DANGEROUS WAS 'CAUSE CARS WERE DRIVING FAR TOO FAST ON THAT WIDER SECTION.
UM, NOW WITH THE CHICANES AND THE BIKE LANES, IT'S EVERYONE'S MOVING SLOWER AND IT'S SAFER FOR ALL OF US, WHETHER WE'RE BIKING, DRIVING, OR WALKING.
UM, SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATING THAT WE ARE LOOKING BACK AT THE POLICY ORDER FROM LAST FALL THAT SEEMED VERY PROBLEMATIC AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY LISTENING TO CITY STAFF.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EDMAR TURNER.
[01:10:01]
EDMAR TURNER CHARING, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO EMR. WE WILL MOVE ON TO SPEAKER NUMBER 60.
HANNAH, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HANNAH, YOU'RE UNMUTED ON OUR END AND YOUR END, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN.
UM, OKAY, I'LL START FROM THE BEGINNING.
MY NAME IS HANNAH SEVEN ALLEN ROAD, AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF RETAINING A NATURAL GRASS FIELD AT ADHERENT FIELD RATHER THAN REPLACING IT WITH A SYNTHETIC TURF SURFACE, NATURAL GRASS SERVES THE FULL COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING A FLEXIBLE, WELCOMING AND SHARED SURFACE THAT DOESN'T PRIORITIZE ONE ACTIVITY OVER OTHERS.
UM, REPLACING AHERN FIELD ENTIRELY WITH THE TURF REMOVES ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN EXPERIENCE NATURAL GROUND.
UM, I PLAY VOLLEYBALL AT AHERN FIELD UP TO SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK DURING THE WARMER MONTHS, AND I SEE THE VALUE THAT IT BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY OF EAST CAMBRIDGE.
LOSING THE SPACE WOULD BE A HUGE BLOW TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS ALREADY HAD LIMITED GREEN SPACE.
IN ADDITION, NATURAL GRASS IS ALSO SAFER FOR ATHLETES AND REDUCES THEIR RISK OF INJURY COMPARED WITH TURF.
PUBLIC HEALTH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS CAN PERSIST IN SOIL AND WATER SYSTEMS WHERE ARTIFICIAL TURF SYSTEMS ARE PRESENT.
I'M ASKING FOR A PAUSE IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND THE SITTING MANAGER TO REVISIT THIS DECISION AS WELL AS A FULL TRANSPARENT COMMUNITY PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO EMAR TURNER.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME THIS TIME? WE CAN.
MY NAME IS EMAR TURNER TROWING.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, UH, THE CITY HAS SAID THAT CITY STAFF HAVE SAID THAT THIS ISN'T LIKE THE CURRENT ATTEMPT TO SWITCH TO A TWO.
A DESIGN WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE.
WE'LL MAKE IT LESS SAFE, INCREASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AND YOU CAN PROCEED WITH THIS PLAN AND YOU CAN SPEND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND OR MORE, 200, WHATEVER IT'S GONNA TAKE AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE UPSET.
AND THEN AS THE COUNCIL, YOU CAN THEN BLAME CITY STAFF FOR DOING IT BADLY.
AND THIS IS THE GAMBIT HERE, WHICH IS YOU PROPOSE SOMETHING YOU KNOW THAT WON'T WORK, BUT THEN WHEN THINGS GO BADLY, IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT A, THINGS ARE WORSE.
AND C THIS IS HUGELY DEMORALIZING THE CITY STAFF WHEN THEY WARNED YOU IN ADVANCE AND THEN YOU IGNORE THEM AND THEN YOU BLAME THEM FOR THINGS THAT THEY TOLD YOU WEREN'T GOING TO FAIL.
SO PLEASE VOTE YES ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
WE ARE GOING TO SKIP BRENDAN HICKEY.
UH, WE'LL GO TO JULIA FULLER, FOLLOWED BY BRITTANY BAKI.
HI, ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? WE CAN.
I LIVE AT GARDEN COURT IN CAMBRIDGE, WHICH, UM, IS IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO THE SECTION OF GARDEN STREET, UM, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON FOR POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, I BIKE TO GET AROUND THE CITY.
I WALK TO GET AROUND THE CITY.
UM, AND I, I ALSO HAVE A CAR, UH, AND I THINK THE, THE ONE WAY STREET CHANGE HAS BEEN A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FOR LIKE EVERY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, UM, THE CURRENT LAYOUT WITH THE STREET BEING ONE WAY SLOWS TRAFFIC NATURALLY.
IT ALSO PRIORITIZES, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY.
SAFETY, PUTTING IT BACK TO TWO WAY CREATES MORE, UM, DANGEROUS CROSSINGS, TAKES AWAY MORE PARKING SPACES.
IT'S ALSO GOING TO CREATE A LAYOUT THAT IS GOING TO INCENTIVIZE DELIVERY VEHICLES TO PULL OVER AND BLOCK THE BIKE LANE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BRITTANY KOSKY, FOLLOWED BY FRANK REESE.
HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS BRITTANY KOSKY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
I HAVE LIVED IN CAMBRIDGE SINCE 2005.
I'M A MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST WITH EXPERTISE IN CANCER PREVENTION.
I AM ON STAFF AT DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE.
I AM ALSO A MOM OF A CYS SOCCER PLAYER
[01:15:01]
WHO PLAYS ON A FOREIGN FIELD.A HORN IS A MULTI-USE SPACE AND PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS NEED ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE.
TURF EXPOSES OUR COMMUNITY TO MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION, PFAS AND TOXIC FUMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT.
AND WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, OUR COMMUNITY IS GETTING WARMER IN THE FALL SEASON, WHICH IS SOCCER SEASON TURF ALSO REDUCES OUR COMMUNITY EXPOSURE TO NATURAL ANTIGENS.
LESS EXPOSURE TO GREEN SPACE HAS HUMAN HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.
GRASS, GREEN SPACE, MUD EXPOSURE PREVENTS ALLERGIES AND GROWING KIDS.
THIS IS VERY CONSISTENT IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE.
NATURAL ANTIGENS ALSO INCREASE CD EIGHT T CELL IMMUNITY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR URBAN RESIDENTS.
URBAN RESIDENTS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO VIRAL INFECTIONS AND HAVE HIGHER RISK OF CANCER.
THANK BRITTANY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER FOR ANYONE THAT WE HAD TO CUT SHORT.
PLEASE EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO CITY COUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV AND YOU ALSO MAY COPY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV SO THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE ADDED TO THE PUBLIC RECORD OF THIS MEETING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FRANK REESE, WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 64.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING AT NUMBER 45 GARDEN STREET FOR 50 YEARS.
I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
THE SHIFT OF GARDEN STREET FROM A TWO-WAY STREET TO ONE WAY IS THE BEST PROJECT DECISION AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN OUR LIFE HERE AT CAMBRIDGE.
THE CURRENT ONE-WAY TRAFFIC CONFIGURATION IS SAFER FOR AUTOMOBILE, BICYCLE, SCOOTERS, PEDESTRIANS, AND DOG WALKERS ALIKE.
IT IS ALSO CONSIDERABLY QUIETER, GIVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD RELIEF FROM TRAFFIC CONGESTION, NOISE AND ACCOMPANYING EXHAUST.
THE TRAFFIC ON WALKER AND SHEPHERD STREET HAS ALSO BEEN REDUCED, ALLOWING THESE RESIDENTIAL STREETS A QUIETER AND SAFER EXISTENCE NEXT TO THE RADCLIFFE QUAD.
IF JOHN LENNON WERE STILL WITH US, HE WOULD SAY, LET IT BE, LET IT BE.
WE URGE YOU TO VOTE YES ON POLICY ORDER 2026 DASH 76.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MIKE GREEN, FOLLOWED BY NICHOLAS FERNANDEZ.
THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR HAVING ME AND FOR THE WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AS VIBRANT AS IT IS.
UH, I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF, UH, USING TURF, UH, THE RIGHT KIND OF TURF IN AHERN FIELD.
I'M PLEASED THAT THE, UH, COMMITTEE HAS FOUND A-P-F-A-S FREE RECYCLABLE, LOW TEMPERATURE 3G TURF.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT RUBBER, BUT THIS TURF THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS GONNA HAVE CORK INFILL, LIKE WHAT'S UP AT, UH, DANEE ON THE NEW FIELD.
FIELD FOUR UP THERE WHERE I SPENT THE, THE WEEKEND WITH MY KIDS.
I'VE GOT THREE KIDS IN THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHO PLAY CYS.
UH, AND THAT FIELD IS, IS, YOU KNOW, SOFT AND RESILIENT AND, UM, I JUST WANT PEOPLE IN THE EAST SIDE OF CAMBRIDGE TO HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO PLAY BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE OVER THERE, UH, SOME PARTS OF THE SEASON WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS PLAYING, UH, FIRST AND SECOND GRADE, A HEAR WAS OFTEN, UH, REALLY MUDDY AND CUDDLY AND NOT USABLE.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO HAVE, UH, THOSE PLAYERS SOMETIMES GETTING ALL THE WAY OUT TO RUSSELL TO BE ABLE TO PLAY.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF ACCESS, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD SUGGESTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICHOLAS FERNANDEZ, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT KCO, THEN HOSSEIN ALI DE I NICHOLAS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
NICHOLAS, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER, TOO.
UH, KEEPING IT, UH, THE WAY IT CURRENTLY IS, UH, IT'S A, AS A A PERSON THAT BIKES, UH, ME AND MY WIFE BIKE.
THAT'S LIKE ONE OF THE SAFEST, UH, ROUTES IN THE CITY.
AND COMPARED TO MASS AVE, IT'S JUST LIKE SO MUCH SAFER.
UH, I TAKE THAT ROUTE EVERY DAY.
I DROP MY KID OFF AT TOBIN BIKE DOWN TO WORK, GO DOWN GARDEN STREET.
UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY GREAT CONFIGURATION AND, UM, I THINK IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR THE CITY TO SPEND THE MONEY ON OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, PROGRESSING BACK TO A STATE THAT'S MORE DANGEROUS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SCOTT KILL COIN, FOLLOWED BY HUSSEIN ALI DE FOLLOWED BY PETER GLICK.
I, UH, LOVE GARDEN STREET AS IT IS NOW.
IT'S, UM, HOW I GET TO BASICALLY ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, HONESTLY AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT I ALSO LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO
[01:20:01]
DHE AND JUST LAST WEEK TOOK A WALK THROUGH DHE IN THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY OR THURSDAY.UM, AND EVERY GROUP OF KIDS OUT THERE ON THE FIELDS, THERE WAS A PILE OF BIKES RIGHT NEXT TO ALL THEIR BAGS.
UM, AND THIS IS THE WAY THAT DANNY HE IS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, WE DID THIS PROJECT IN ON GARDEN, UH, TO MAKE THAT ROUTE FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL TO DANNY.
HE'S SAFER FOR ALL THE KIDS AND IT'S REALLY APPARENT THAT HAS BEEN WORKING SUPER WELL.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO DO ANY, SPEND ANY MONEY TO MAKE IT ANY BIT LESS GOOD THAN IT IS NOW.
UM, SO I'D LOVE TO CONTINUE, UH, KEEPING IT AS IT IS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HUSSEIN ALI DEI, FOLLOWED BY PETER GLICK.
I LIVE AT 15 RIDGEDALE AVENUE AND I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF, UH, POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, I LIVE ON RIDGEDALE AND I COMMUTE OVER TO, UH, HARVARD, UH, EVERY DAY.
UM, THIS IS BY FAR A MUCH SAFER ROUTE FOR ME TO GET TO HARVARD SQUARE.
UM, THEN GOING DOWN MASS AVE AND FURTHER, EVEN ON A SOCIAL BASIS, MY WIFE, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WELL AS OTHER FRIENDS OF MINE IN THE AREA I KNOW ARE LITERALLY AFRAID TO GO DOWN MASS AVE AND MUCH PREFER GARDEN STREET.
AND IN SOME OTHER WORLD WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE GARDEN STREET, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BY CAR ONLY FURTHER CONGESTING THE ROADS.
AND SO I'M STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF KEEPING THIS A BIKE LANE, BOTH TO KIND OF MAKE IT EASY FOR CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE TO GET AROUND AND TO NOT BE SCARED FOR THEIR LIVES IN THE PROCESS OF JUST TRYING TO GET DINNER AROUND TOWN OR GET TO WORK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PETER GLICK.
HI, PETER GLICK, 60 RAYMOND STREET.
UH, FOR ABOUT THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, I'VE BEEN LIVING ON A STREET THAT IS UNSAFE FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
UM, IT IS REALLY STRESSFUL, REALLY DANGEROUS, NOT JUST FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND OTHER NEIGHBORS, BUT FOR THE KIDS WHO WALK TO SCHOOL FOR THE MANY CYCLISTS WHO ARE ON, UH, RAYMOND STILL DESPITE THE, UH, THE GARDEN STREET, UH, BIKE LANES.
AND WHAT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE IN SOME WAYS IS THAT A LOT OF US IN THE SIDE STREETS FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN SORT OF COMPLETELY IGNORED.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE IT WAS CLEAR THAT NOBODY WAS LISTENING.
THERE ARE STATISTICS THAT GET THROWN AROUND THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY REFLECT RUSH HOUR ON THE SIDE STREETS LIKE RAYMOND AND BUCKINGHAM AND WALKER AND, UM, AND APPLETON.
AND, AND NOW THERE ARE CITY COUNCIL VOTES, TWO OF THEM THAT, UH, WE, WE, WE WON.
UH, BUT ACTUALLY NO, THE WORK WAS DELAYED, DELAYED JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR ANOTHER POLICY TO ORDER TO COME UP AND SORT OF PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER US.
WE'RE TOLD THAT, OH, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
WHO COULD POSSIBLY BELIEVE THAT AFTER ALL THIS TIME? THANK YOU.
WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 70, PEDRO VASE T FOLLOWED BY BRENDA SHANNON, THEN RICHARD REMAN.
UH, HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? UM, YES.
SO I'M, MY NAME IS PETER TEDA.
I LIVE IN WEST CAMBRIDGE AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO AND KEEPING GARDEN STREET THE WAY IT IS.
EVEN THOUGH I OWN A CAR, I MAINLY WALK IN CYCLE IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND I'M ONE OF SEVERAL PARENTS WHO BIKE ALONG GARDEN STREET, TAKE MY TODDLER TO AND FROM CHILDCARE AS WELL AS PARKS SUCH AS DAN AND CAMBRIDGE.
UH, LIKE SCOTT SAID EARLIER, GARDEN STREET IS ALSO RELIED UPON BY KIDS CYCLING EVERY DAY BETWEEN SCHOOL AND EE PARKS.
THIS IS SOMETHING I WITNESS EVERY DAY, LIVING CLOSE TO IT.
GARDEN STREET SHOULD BE KEPT IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION AS IT'S KEPT, AS IT'S SAFER FOR VULNERABLE WORLD USERS SUCH AS PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BRENDA SHANNON.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO RICHARD REMAN, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN FULLER, THEN ELLEN HAN.
I'M, HI, I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF POLICY OUT ORDER NUMBER TWO.
I GET THAT THIS SEEMS LIKE A CHANGE TO SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY PLANNED, BUT IN FACT, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO NOT CHANGE WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH CONGESTION ON OTHER STREETS, LET'S ADDRESS THOSE.
MAKING GARDEN STREET LESS SAFE FOR ALL USERS, WON'T FIX THOSE PROBLEMS. PLEASE RESPECT THE ADVICE OF CITY PROFESSIONALS, THE RESIDENTS OF GARDEN STREET, THE SPEAKERS IN SUPPORT TONIGHT, THE MANY LETTERS YOU'VE RECEIVED, AND OVER 700 PEOPLE WHO PARTITIONED THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR TO LEAVE GARDEN STREET AS A CALM ONE-WAY STREET.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO ADD THAT IT'S REALLY
[01:25:01]
GREAT TONIGHT TO, UH, TO HEAR THE SUPPORT FOR THIS POLICY THAT MAKES IT CLEAR.THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE BICYCLE LOBBY OR HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO CHARACTERIZE IT.
IT'S FROM A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN THE AREA WHO LIKED THIS CALM STREET AND WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLYN FULLER, FOLLOWED BY ELLEN MINI HAND, THEN LUCA VEDI.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
MY NAME IS CAROLYN FULLER, 12 DOUGLAS STREET.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
I DON'T OWN EITHER A CAR OR BIKE, BUT I WALK ALL OVER THE CITY.
GARDEN STREET IS SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS NOW THAT IT IS A ONE-WAY STREET, ESPECIALLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF GARDEN AND CONCORD.
35 YEARS AGO, OUR 7-YEAR-OLD SON RAN ACROSS THAT INTERSECTION TO GREET HIS BEST FRIEND.
HE HAD A WALK LIGHT, BUT AT THE TIME ONE OF THE MANY TRAFFIC LANES MERGING INTO THAT INTERSECTION ALSO HAD A GREEN LIGHT I WATCHED IN HORROR AS AN AMBULANCE DRIVER NEARLY RAN OUR SUN DOWN.
THOSE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WERE FIXED MANY DECADES AGO, BUT IT IS STILL A CONFUSING INTERSECTION WHEN BOTH CONCORD AND GARDEN ARE TWO-WAY STREETS.
PLEASE KEEP GARDEN STREET ONE WAY.
ELLEN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE.
I RESIDE AT 1 31 OTIS STREET AND I AM EXPRESSING MY SUPPORT TO POLICY ORDER THREE TODAY.
AND MY CONCERNS ABOUT REPLACING NATURAL GRASS WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF AT A HEARN FIELD.
UH, I'M AN EAST CAMBRIDGE HOMEOWNER AND RESIDENT AND A PARENT TO THREE YOUNG CHILDREN.
UH, MY FAMILY RESIDES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE ROW HOUSE WITHOUT A YARD, AND WE CURRENTLY UTILIZE A HEARN FIELD ON A DAILY BASIS FOR EXERCISE.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF REPLACING NATURAL GRASS WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHED OF MICROPLASTICS AND OTHER HARMFUL CHEMICALS IN THE FIELD INTO OUR SOIL AND GROUNDWATER, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT, UH, EXPOSURE IN HUMAN HEALTH.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT REPLACING NATURAL GRASS WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF WILL CONTRIBUTE TO AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT CONTRIBUTING TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IN OUR ALREADY DENSELY BUILT NEIGHBORHOODS.
THANK YOU FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS TODAY.
UH, WE ARE GONNA SKIP GARY MELLOW WHO LEFT US HIS COMMENT IN WRITING.
HI, MY NAME IS JACKSON POTTER AND I'M CALLING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, PLEASE KEEP GUARDIAN STREET, UH, ONE WAY AS IS.
IT IS SO MUCH SAFER, CALMER, AND A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR ALL USERS OF THAT STREET.
UM, AND MAKING IT TWO WAY REVERTING BACK TO THE OLD DESIGN WOULD JUST REDUCE SAFETY.
UM, UH, IT WOULD MAKE TRAFFIC WORSE, UM, AT LINEAN STREET AND HURON AVE.
UM, AND, UH, IT'S JUST ADDING MORE AND MORE COSTS TO A PROJECT THAT WAS ALREADY MADE AND IS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM MITCHELL, FOLLOWED BY ADINA GOLDEN.
I, ADAM MITCHELL, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO ADINA GOLDEN ADINA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, I'M AN AVID BIKER IN THE CAMBRIDGE AREA.
I ALSO DO OWN A CAR AND, UH, OFTEN DRIVE TO WORK, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY ABOUT ONCE A WEEK.
SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH BOTH THE DRIVING, WALKING, AND BIKING IN THE AREA.
I'D LIKE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO TO KEEP GARDEN STREET THE WAY IT IS.
I FEEL VERY SAFE AS A BIKER ON IT CURRENTLY, AND I WORRY THAT IF IT GOES BACK TO TWO WAYS, THEN THE LIGHT AT GARDEN STREET AND HURON AVENUE WOULD JUST BE TOO LONG TO ALLOW FOR A BIKE LIGHT AND THE EXTRA WAY ON GARDEN STREET, WHICH WILL CAUSE MORE BACKUP ON HURON AVENUE PAST CONCORD AVENUE.
UH, IN ADDITION, I WOULD JUST FEEL MUCH SAFER AS A BIKER AND A PEDESTRIAN IF
[01:30:01]
WE KEPT IT THE WAY THAT IT IS.UH, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
UM, I, I BIKE A LOT AROUND CAMBRIDGE IN GENERAL, BUT UH, ALSO ON GARDEN STREET WHEN I HEAD TO DANEE PARK AND BACK.
AND THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF THE STREET IS MUCH MORE PLEASANT THAN WHAT IT USED TO BE BEFORE.
UM, IT'S SAFER CYCLISTS AND IT GIVES MORE JUST OF A PEACEFUL, UM, VIBE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I THINK IT DOES ITS JOB TO SATISFY KIND OF EVERYBODY AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
THE CYCLISTS, THE PEDESTRIANS AND, AND THE DRIVERS THAT WANT TO PARK SOMEWHERE.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE PROJECT LIKE THIS THAT GET KIND OF SHUT DOWN BECAUSE THEY REMOVE A LOT OF THE PARKING AND THIS IS ONE THAT REALLY PRIORITIZED PARKING.
AND SO I THINK REMOVING IT WOULD BE VERY INCONSISTENT WITH KIND OF LIKE OUR, UH, SCIENCE AND DATA BASED APPROACH TO STREET SAFETY AND SHARING STREET FOR EVERYBODY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES ZAL, FOLLOWED BY CHARLES MCCANNON.
WE WILL GO TO CHARLES MCCANNON.
CHARLES, YOU'RE UNMUTED ON BOTH ENDS.
OKAY, CHARLES, WE WILL ASK YOU TO LEAVE THE ZOOM REJOIN AND RAISE YOUR HAND WHEN YOU'RE BACK.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO JAMES SULLIVAN, FOLLOWED BY NEIL LEVITT.
JAMES SULLIVAN IS NOT WITH US.
NEIL LEVITT FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN.
UM, I'M NEIL LEVITT AND I LIVE ON ONE 13 SEVENTH STREET, UM, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO A HEARN FIELD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT AND SAY THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF KEEPING A HEARN FIELD LIKE IT IS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO A SOCCER PLAYER AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, UM, A CONCERN WITH SOCCER.
RIGHT? UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT ALSO AS A FORMER PLAYER, UM, I NEVER ONCE EVER PLAYED ON A PLASTIC PITCH EVER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LOCAL STATE, UH, REGIONAL TEAM, NATIONAL THEME, RIGHT? I DIDN'T PLAY ON A PLASTIC PITCH EVER.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S A MISTAKE TO TAKE THIS RARE PLACE, UH, THAT'S UNIQUE WITHIN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND, UM, CONVERT IT TO ARTIFICIAL TURF.
CHARLES, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I'M 54 GARDEN STREET IN CAMBRIDGE.
UH, MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, AND AS WE APPROACH 80 YEARS OLD, SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US.
WE HAVE THE, UM, KIND OF UNIQUE BENEFIT OF HAVING A DRIVEWAY THAT EMPTIES OUT ONTO GARDEN STREET.
AND WHEN THE CHANGES THAT OCCURRED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WERE PROPOSED, WE WERE QUITE HESITANT, UH, TRYING TO, UH, CONSIDER HOW WE MIGHT DEAL WITH BICYCLE TRAFFIC.
WE FIND THAT, UH, THIS IS STILL A VERY SAFE SOLUTION FOR US AND FOR OUR NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR.
UM, WHO, UH, WHO CAN ACCESS, ACCESS THE LOADING AND UN LOADING ZONE IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE FOR THE PURPOSES OF TAKING RIDE SHARES AND ACCEPTING DELIVERIES AND THE LIKE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD NOT BE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO CONVEY TO YOU THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID IN A MUCH BETTER WAY THAN, THAN I COULD.
UM, BUT IT JUST SEEMS THAT THERE'S AN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THIS SITUATION AS IT IS TODAY AS OPPOSED
[01:35:01]
TO CHANGING IT.BUT I UNDERSTAND WE ALSO HAVE TO CONVINCE A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL TO GET THIS TO HAPPEN.
AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL SITTING WOULD UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE WHAT SUPPORT THERE IS FOR THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON A LOCAL BASIS.
AS OPPOSED, CHARLES APOLOGIES, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
OUR FINAL THREE SPEAKERS ARE HEATHER HOFFMAN, CHRISTOPHER CASA, AND JAMES WILLIAMSON.
HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET.
START WITH MY STANDARD SPIEL ON LITIGATION FOLLOWED BY ALL OF THESE APPOINTMENTS.
IT WOULD BE LOVELY TO KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY THINKS ABOUT, PAYS ATTENTION TO AND OTHERWISE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, TALKS TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE'S APPOINTING TO ALL OF THESE COMMITTEES AND THEN FINALITY.
THESE CAMBRIDGE TENDS TO BE TOLD, WELL, THE DECISION WAS MADE IT'S FINAL.
I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT A HEARN FIELD MIGHT NOT BE.
SO FINAL CITY STAFF MADE IT QUITE CLEAR TO US THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE SAID, THEY'D ALREADY DECIDED THINGS.
AND YET THIS IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE SOLELY A SOCCER FIELD.
IT'S FOR ALL OF US, WHAT MY NEIGHBORS SAID.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTOPHER CASA, FOLLOWED BY JAMES WILLIAMSON.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
CHRIS CASA FROM 1 0 3 GORE STREET.
I AM, UH, IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE TO REEVALUATE THE AHERN FIELD SITUATION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF, UM, INTEREST IN THAT AND CHECKING OUT IF THAT DECISION COULD BE, UM, RECONSIDERED.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO JUST FOCUS ON, UM, SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A BIG MISTAKE LAST YEAR WHEN WE OVERWROTE OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF.
THEY'RE EXPERTS AT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS TO CONGESTION AND TO, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT WILL BASICALLY WILL INCREASE FROM SIGNAL CHANGES.
AND I ALSO THINK WE'LL INCREASE FROM DELIVERY ZONES THAT ARE BLOCKING TRAVEL LANES AND BIKE LANES.
UM, THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT WILL MAKE THINGS LESS SAFE, THAT IT WILL INCREASE TURNING CONFLICTS AND EXPOSE PEOPLE AND WALKING AND BIKING TO MORE RISK FROM STR FROM HIGHER SPEEDS.
I REALLY DO EMPATHIZE WITH THE CONCERNS ABOUT CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON STREETS LIKE RAYMOND AND BUCKINGHAM, BUT WE HAVE PROVEN TOOLS, TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE TODAY TO ADDRESS THE SPEEDING AND TRAFFIC CALMING DIRECTLY ON THOSE STREETS.
SO I REALLY HOPE WE LISTEN TO THE GARDEN STREET RESIDENTS WHO, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO DON'T BIKE, WHO ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE CURRENT DESIGN.
JAMES WILLIAMSON IS NOT ON THE ZOOM.
WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED IN SINCE THEY WERE SKIPPED EARLIER.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
HI, KEN CARLSON, 3 28 HARVARD STREET.
UM, I AM, UM, SPEAKING TO URGE CITY COUNSELORS TO PLEASE SUPPORT ORDER NUMBER TWO AND LEAVE GARDEN STREET AS ONE WAY FOR CARS WITH ITS CURRENT SAFE PROTECTED BIKE LANE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE STREET COMING REGARDING GARDEN BACK TO TWO WAY FOR CARS WILL RESULT IN AN UNSAFE NARROW TWO-WAY BIKE FACILITY WITH INCREASED TURNING CONFLICTS IS POINTED OUT AS DRIVERS EXITING SIDE STREETS WILL NOT KNOW TO LOOK TO THE RIGHT FOR ONCOMING CYCLISTS A COMMON PROBLEM IN TWO-WAY CYCLE TRACKS OF THIS TYPE.
UM, MY CONCERN IS MANY UPPER SCHOOL AND CRS STUDENTS USE GARDEN STREET TO GET TO RUSSELL FIELD AND WILL BE EXPOSED TO GREATER RISK OF BEING HIT BY A CAR.
IF GARDEN STREET IS REVERT AS A TWO-WAY, THE TWO-WAY CONVERSION BESIDES BEING VERY EXPENSIVE TO IMPLEMENT, WILL ALSO LEAVE VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR DELIVERIES AS NOTED PICKUPS OR QUICK STOPS THAT WILL INEVITABLY BLOCK THE BIKE LANE AND CREATE EVEN MORE CONFLICTS BETWEEN MOTOR VEHICLES AND BICYCLES.
SO PLEASE CHOOSE THE SAFEST CONFIGURATION OF GARDEN STREET FOR ALL BY LEAVING IT IN ITS CURRENT SAFE CONFIGURATION AS ONE WAY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.
THAT IS ALL THAT WERE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU NAOMI, FOR DOING A GREAT JOB LEADING US THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR ZZI TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL DO, UH, IS ANYONE ON ZOOM? UM, IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCILLOR SIMMONS HAS LOGGED OFF.
OKAY, SO WE CAN DO A VOICE VOTE TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT SAY AYE.
[01:40:01]
AGAINST SAY NO.[SUBMISSION OF THE RECORD]
MOVE ON TO THE SUBMISSION OF THE RECORD.THERE ARE TWO SETS OF MINUTES ON A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOVERN TO PLACE THESE TWO SETS OF MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025 AND THEN DECEMBER 22ND, 2025 ON FILE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THOSE TWO RECORDS ARE PLACED ON FILE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CITY MANAGER'S
[CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA]
AGENDA.ARE THERE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL? COUNSELORS? ZUBIE, I'LL PULL 10.
COUNSELOR ZUBI WILL POLL NUMBER 10.
COUNCILOR ZUZI WILL PULL NUMBER FIVE.
ANY OTHER ITEMS? SO WE'VE SO FAR PULLED FIVE AND WE'VE PULLED 10.
HEARING NO ONE ELSE PULL ANY OF THE ITEMS. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE BALANCE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA.
THE BALANCE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDAS ADOPTED WILL GO AHEAD TO CITY MANAGER.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER OF $73,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND POLICE SALARY AND WAGES ACCOUNT TO THE GENERAL FUND POLICE, TRAVEL AND TRAINING JUDGMENT AND JAMS ACCOUNT TO COVER CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED SETTLEMENT COSTS FOR POLICE PERSONNEL INJURED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
COUNCILLOR ZUZI, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR SIDIKI, UH, THROUGH YOU.
I JUST, UM, I WONDERED IF THIS WAS A COMMON THING IS, IS DO WE, DO WE PUT MONEY INTO THIS JUDGMENT AND DAMAGES ACCOUNT EVERY YEAR? ARE THERE REGULAR INJURIES OF THE POLICE PERSON? UM, PERSONNEL INJURED IN THE PERFORM IN THE, IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES, UH, THROUGH YOU.
MAYOR SADIKI? I BELIEVE WE HAVE SUPERINTENDENT CABRAL ONLINE.
SUPERINTENDENT CABRAL, ARE YOU ONLINE? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SUPERINTENDENT CABRAL ONLINE.
UM, WELL, I WOULD SAY, UM, I THINK WE DO REQUEST TRANSFERS FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, I THINK OUR PRACTICE IS TO HAVE SOME NORMAL BUDGET, BUT I THINK, UH, AT TIMES THERE'S A NEED FOR A TRANSFER, WHICH REQUIRES A COUNCIL VOTE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IN THIS CASE, UH, WE ARE REQUESTING ONE FROM THE SALARIES AND WAGES ACCOUNT, UH, WHERE WE ARE, UH, WHERE WE STILL HAVE SOME BUDGET, UH, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
MY MY BROADER QUESTION WAS, SO ARE WE, ARE POLICE PERSONNEL REGULARLY INJURED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES? AND SO IS THE CITY LIKE ANNUALLY, LIKE HOW MUCH DO WE PAY OUT TO, UM, AN ANTICIPATED SETTLEMENT COST? IS THIS THAT, THAT'S MY LARGER QUESTION.
IS THIS A A BROAD THING OR IS THIS UNUSUAL, UH, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI? UM, I DON'T THINK IT IS ENTIRELY UNUSUAL, BUT, UM, I THINK WE CAN, UH, PROBABLY GET BACK TO YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT THE AVERAGE IS AND THEN WHERE WE'RE RUNNING THIS FISCAL YEAR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS APPROPRIATION? HEARING NONE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE APPROPRIATION AND PLACING THE COMMUNICATION ON FILE.
THE APPROPRIATIONS APPROVED AND THE COMMUNICATIONS PLACED ON FILE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD TO CITY MANAGER.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO THE POLICE REVIEW AND ADVISORY BOARD QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF FALL 2025 THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026.
COUNCILOR ZUBIE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, I WANNA APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, UM, CAROLINA AL MONTES PUT INTO THIS AND WANNA JUST GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO REFER TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO
[01:45:01]
UNPACK AT SOME POINT.SO COUNCILOR ZUBIE HAS MADE A MOTION TO SEND THIS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? YES.
COUNCILLOR NOLAN, WHAT NUMBER? THANK YOU.
I, I, UH, ALSO WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN THIS REPORT, WHICH IS A LONG TIME COMING.
WE, UM, THIS COUNCIL HAS ASKED FOR IT A COUPLE TIMES AND I REALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, UH, DIRECTOR AMANTE HAS, HAS DELIVERED IT.
I, THERE'S A COUPLE QUESTIONS I COULD HAVE ABOUT THE REPORT, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY APPROPRIATE TO ASK THEM IF IT WILL BE, REFER TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S GOOD WE HAVE THAT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT HERE THAT I THINK TO DISCUSS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS.
THIS IS A, A CENTRAL FEATURE OF HOW IT IS THAT WE APPROACH COMMUNITY SAFETY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
ANYONE ELSE ON THIS? HEARING? NONE.
SO, COUNCILOR ZUBIE HAS MOVED TO REFER CITY MANAGER.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM 10 HAS BEEN REFERRED.
WE ARE DONE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO POLICY ORDERS.
[POLICY ORDERS]
PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL CHAIR, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.WELL, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MIC? SORRY.
POLLING NUMBER TWO, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY POLLS NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER THREE, WE'LL GO AHEAD TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER ONE.
THIS IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL GO ON RECORD URGING HARVARD ADMINISTRATION TO END THE PRACTICE OF TIME CAPS FOR NON-TENURE TRACK TEACHING FACULTY AND URGING HARVARD ADMINISTRATION TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LABOR CONTRIBUTION AND EMPLOYEE STATUS OF ALL ITS RESEARCHERS REGARDLESS OF FUNDING SOURCE AND CONGRATULA.
CONTRACTUALLY RECOGNIZE THESE RESEARCHERS PROTECTED RIGHT TO UNION REPRESENTATION.
THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, MYSELF, COUNCILLOR NOLAN AND COUNCILLOR ZUBIE.
THANKS MADAM MAYOR, THROUGH YOU.
THIS, UH, POLICY ORDER IS IN SUPPORT OF THE HARVARD ACADEMIC WORKERS UNION, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THEIR DEMANDS FOR FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS, WHICH INCLUDE ENDING THE TIME CAPS FOR NON-TENURE FACULTY, NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY THAT MAKE, INCLUDE A LOT OF STABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY FOR, UH, WORKERS WHO KEEP HARVARD RUNNING.
UH, ENDING THE ARBITRARY DISTINCTION DISTINCTIONS BASED ON THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT, UH, FUND THE, THE FACULTY POSITIONS AND SUPPORTING AND WORKERS IN THEIR DEMAND FOR FAIR TREATMENT BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, POLICY ORDERS JUST URGING THE HARVARD ADMINISTRATION TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH AND, UH, SUPPORTING THE WORKERS IN THEIR, UH, POTENTIAL EFFORT TO GO ON STRIKE IF THEY AREN'T ABLE TO SECURE A FAIR CONTRACT.
UM, THERE IS A SMALL CORRECTION THAT I PUT FORWARD VIA AMENDMENT TO THE SIXTH, WHEREAS, UM, JUST CORRECTING THE NUMBER OF HARVARD EMPLOYEES WHO ARE AFFECTED.
UM, SO I PUT FORWARD THAT AMENDMENT THAT I HOPE WE CAN, UH, ADOPT AND THEN ADOPT THE POLICY ORDER.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? YES.
COUNCILOR ZUZI? UH, I, WELL, I FEEL SYMPATHETIC TO THE HARVARD NON-TENURE FACULTY.
I, I DON'T THINK THIS IS COUNCIL BUSINESS.
I THINK THIS IS HARVARD BUSINESS.
I KNOW THEY'RE VERY RICH, BUT THEY RAN $113 MILLION DEFICIT LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I WILL, I WILL BE VOTING PRESENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS BEFORE WE MOVE TO ADOPT THE AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE.
SO THE AMENDMENT IS BEFORE US.
UH, IT WAS TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF THE EMPLOYEES, UM, TO THE, TO THE CORRECT NUMBER.
SO SEEING NO ONE ON THAT AMENDMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE AMENDMENT, SAY AYE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN ADOPTED ON THE POLICY ORDER.
UH, ON NOW WE'RE GONNA DO POLICY ORDER AS, UH, AMENDED.
SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT.
THE POLICY, OR NUMBER ONE AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED.
WE GO ON POLICY OR NUMBER TWO, THIS IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO DIRECT CAMBRIDGE, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO HALT ANY FURTHER DESIGN, ENGINEERING, PROCUREMENT, OR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTING A RECONFIGURATION OF GUARDIAN STREET TO RESTORE TWO-WAY MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILOR ZUBIE AND COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER.
THIS WAS PULLED BY COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY AS WE
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HAVE DONE, UNLESS THE MAIN MOON MAIN MOTION, UH, MAKER YIELDS WILL GO TO THE MAIN MOTION MAKER.AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO TURN TO THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF JUST TO WALK US THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS PROCESS, INCLUDING WHETHER RESTORING TO TWO-WAY WOULD MEANINGFULLY REDUCE CONGEST CONGESTION AND THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON THE ESTIMATED COSTS, INCLUDING THE ADDED LOADING ZONE.
UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER MCKENNA AND, AND MAYBE HELPFUL TO JUST GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AS WELL SINCE I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE'VE REVISITED THIS.
UM, SO JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE WERE HERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND AT THAT TIME WE HAD EXPLORED A NUMBER OF OPTIONS FOR, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS TO HAVE A TWO-WAY CONFIGURE, UH, TWO-WAY BIKE LANES RATHER THAN THE ONE BIKE LANE ON EITHER SIDE TO ALLOW US TO RESTORE TWO-WAY TRAFFIC.
UM, AT THAT POINT WE CAME BACK WITH FOUR OPTIONS.
THE FIRST OPTION WAS TO KEEP THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
UH, OPTIONS TWO THROUGH FOUR, UH, WERE VARIATIONS ON, UM, ON RETURNING TWO-WAY TRAFFIC WITH, UH, NUMBER FOUR BEING THE MOST POPULAR, UM, I THINK OPTION AMONG THE, UM, AMONG THE BODY, WHICH WAS, UM, A FULL RETURN TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC, ALL THE, FOR THE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT AREA, ALL THE WAY FROM HERE ON AVE DOWN TO CONCORD AVE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WON'T BRING FOR, WE WILL NEVER BRING FORWARD OPTIONS THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE ARE SAFE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT BOTH OF THE OPTIONS, UM, OR ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE PUT ON THE TABLE LAST YEAR ARE SAFE.
UM, OUR PREFERENCE IS TO, UM, KEEP THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
WE THINK THAT IT OPERATES BEST AND OFFERS THE BEST, UM, KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
UM, BUT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BOTH SAFE OPTIONS.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE COST OF THE CHANGE, UM, THE COST WOULD BE SPLIT, UH, BASICALLY IN TWO BUCKETS.
ONE OF THEM WOULD BE THE, UM, CONSTRUCTION COSTS TO, UH, CREATE A BUMP IN, UH, SO THAT THERE COULD BE SOME LOADING ACTIVITY ON KIND OF THE CONCORD, UH, ON THE CONCORD AVE AND OF THE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT, THE WOULD BE THE COST TO RELOCATE A BLUE BIKE STATION.
AND THEN, AND THE ESTIMATE ON THAT IS ABOUT $120,000.
AND THEN FOR US TO REDO, UH, THE DESIGN TO IMPLEMENT A TWO-WAY, UH, FOR VEHICLES AND THE TWO-WAY FOR BIKES.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE MARKINGS AND, UM, AND POSTS COSTS WOULD BE ABOUT $130,000.
SO ABOUT 250 TOTAL WAS OUR ESTIMATE, UM, FOR THOSE COSTS.
AND ARE YOU ABLE TO JUST ALSO WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FROM WHAT BROUGHT US TO THE, TO CHANGING IT TO ONE WAY? SURE.
UM, GOING BACK TO 2021, INTO 2022, WE HAD AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS, UM, FOR THE IMPLEMENTA THE CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AND WE HAD WHAT FELT AT THE TIME, LIKE A VERY, UM, BROAD ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY OF FOLKS WHO WERE FOCUSED ON, UM, LOCAL PARKING ISSUES AND FOLKS WHO WERE FOCUSED ON BIKE ISSUES.
AND REALLY THE, THE ONE WAY SOLUTION EMERGED FROM THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT REALLY CHECKED A LOT OF BOXES WHERE IT HAD ALL OF THE SAFETY FROM THE BIKES, FACILITIES PLUS KEPT A GOOD AMOUNT OF THE PARKING.
UM, I THINK THAT SINCE THAT TIME, SUPPORTERS OF THE PROJECT HAVE ALWAYS ALSO FELT LIKE, UM, OR EVEN AT THE TIME THAT PEDESTRIANS WERE ALSO IN FAVOR OF THE, THE, THE ONE WAY CONFIGURATION AS WELL.
SO THAT FELT LIKE A VERY, A VERY GOOD INCLUSIVE PROCESS FOR US.
BUT AS WE GOT TOWARDS THE END WHERE WE WERE, WHERE IT WAS BECOMING CLEAR THAT THE ONE WAY SCENARIO WAS PROBABLY THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME, WE TRIED TO BROADEN THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE WERE DOING BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE ONE WAY WOULD HAVE BROADER IMPLEMENTATION OR BROADER IMPACTS.
I THINK THAT WE HEARD A LOT AFTER THAT POINT THAT WE DID NOT BROADEN THAT IMPACT ENOUGH THAT THAT OUTREACH ENOUGH.
UM, AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, TAKEN THAT TO HEART.
UM, SO AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION, THERE WAS A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND
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WE WENT BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.I THINK WE HAD TWO TO THREE, I THINK TWO IN PERSON AND ONE ONLINE, POSSIBLY, UM, JUST NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE WERE THINKING.
AND THAT, UM, LED TO THE CONVERSATION THAT, THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE CHAMBER IN DECEMBER OF 2022, WHERE WE LAID OUT OUR FEELING, OUR, OUR CONSIDERATION THAT THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION WAS BETTER AND THAT A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WERE CONCERNED ABOUT FROM THE ONE-WAY CONFIGURATION WOULD EITHER NOT BE FIXED OR THERE WOULD BE DIFFERENT COMPLICATIONS FROM RESTORING TWO-WAY TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY THAT IT INTRODUCES AT THE INTERSECTION OF HURON AVE AND GARDEN STREET.
UM, BECAUSE ONCE WE HAVE TWO-WAY TRAFFIC AND TWO-WAY BIKE TRAFFIC THERE, WE NEED, UM, AN ADDITIONAL PHASE IN THE SIGNAL.
SO THAT MAKES IT LONGER AND MORE WAIT TIME FOR ALL USERS AND, AND LIKELY, UM, AN INCREASE IN CONGESTION ON HURON F AT THE HURON AND SHERMAN, UM, AREA.
UH, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS AND I'LL YIELD WE HAVE COUNCILOR FLAHERTY NEXT.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M AN ATTORNEY BY TRADE AND ONE OF THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS CALLED RACE JUDICATA.
THAT'S THE LATIN FOR A MATTER OF JUDGED.
IT'S A LEGAL PRINCIPLE THAT, UH, PREVENTS PARTIES FROM RE-LITIGATING A CLAIM THAT'S RECEIVED A FINAL JUDGMENT ON THE MERITS.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRINCIPLE IS TO PREVENT REPETITIVE LITIGATION.
IT'S, UH, TO ENSURE FINALITY AND TO CONSERVE RESOURCES.
UH, THIS EXTENDS TO ARGUMENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY MADE IN THOSE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RAISED PRIOR TO JUDGMENT.
UH, IN MY VIEW, UH, AS AN ATTORNEY WHO'S PRACTICED FOR DECADES IN THIS STATE, UM, REOPENING OF THIS MATTER IS BAD PUBLIC POLICY.
IT CREATES A PRECEDENT THAT ENCOURAGES PARTIES TO CON TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THEIR CLAIMS. UH, DESPITE RECEIVING AN ADVERSE JUDGMENT, UH, POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN MY VIEW REQUIRES DECORUM CLAIMING THAT AN ACTION HAS, THAT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A FINAL VOTE SHOULD BE HALTED SIMPLY BECAUSE AN ADVERSARY DISAGREES IS ERROR, UH, SIMPLY ERROR.
UM, WHATEVER ANYBODY'S SUBSTANTIVE VIEW IS ABOUT G GARDEN STREET, UM, THIS POLICY ORDER IS JUST PROCEDURALLY MISPLACED AND IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS I LIVE ON HERE ON AVE.
I DON'T REALLY NEED DATA TO TELL ME WHAT IT'S LIKE, UH, SUB WHAT THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS ARE LIKE SUBJECT, UH, AFTER THIS CHANGE WAS MADE TO GARDEN STREET, I'VE LIVED MY ENTIRE LIFE IN CAMBRIDGE.
I'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN GARDEN STREET AND HURON AVE FOR DECADES.
THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE SEEN THE CHANGE.
UH, AND IF I WERE NOT ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND SITTING HERE AT THIS DESK TONIGHT, I WOULD NOT KNOW THAT THIS POLICY ORDER WAS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TONIGHT.
SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I EXERCISE MY CHARTER, RIGHT.
COUNCILOR FLAHERTY HAS EXERCISED HIS CHARTER, RIGHT? SO WE WILL MOVE TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO WORK WITH RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE A REPORT ON HOW THE DECISION TO INSTALL INSTALL ARTIFICIAL TURF AT ARON FIELD WAS MADE THE RATIONALE FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF AND WHAT PROCESS WAS TAKEN TO ENSURE COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS WERE FULLY ADDRESSED.
AND TO ENSURE THAT CONSTRUCTION WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD UNTIL A REPORT IS DELIVERED.
THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN, MYSELF, AND COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN.
THANK YOU MAYOR SIDIKI, AND THANK TO YOU AND COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN FOR CO-SPONSORING.
AND THANKS TO THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO CAME IN PUBLIC COMMENT TO DISCUSS THIS.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF, UH, THOSE CHALLENGING DISCUSSIONS WHICH WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE WE ALL WANT AS MUCH PLAYING TIME AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR KIDS.
AND WE ALSO WANT THE HEALTHIEST SYSTEM WE CAN HAVE IN THE HEALTHIEST SPACE THAT WE CAN HAVE FOR OUR KIDS.
UM, THE THE REASON, UH, WE FILE FILED THIS POLICY, AND I KNOW I TALKED WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, WAS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST, SO IN FULL DISCLOSURE, WE HAD HAD SOME, UH, DISCUSSION OF THIS AT LAST YEAR'S, I BELIEVE THE BUDGET HEARING WE, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS WERE, WE'RE GONNA SPEND THIS MONEY AND WE EXPECT IT TO BE,
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UH, PROBABLY A TURF FIELD.I THINK THAT WAS SAID, BUT I, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE MYSELF.
AND CLEARLY THE COMMUNITY FEELS VERY STRONGLY THAT THAT WAS NOT FULLY KNOWN, ADDRESSED AND, AND COMMUNICATED IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE ASSURED THAT THEY'RE BEING HEARD.
AND I ALSO APPRECIATE COUNCILOR SUZI I KNOW HAS AN AMENDMENT THAT I FULLY SUPPORT BECAUSE WHAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE IS THAT SINCE PERHAPS THEN HAS CHANGED IS WITH THE GOLD STAR PARK BEING OFF WITH SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY REALLY COMING OUT TO EXPLAIN HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR THEM TO HAVE A GRASS FIELD.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, FOLKS WHO PLAY ON IT WHO SAY, WELL, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW SOCCER FIELDS IN THAT AREA OF TOWN, AND IF WE DON'T DO THIS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS PLAYING TIME.
I REALLY THINK THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE CONSTRUCTION DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE ISSUES ADDRESSED FULLY.
AND HOPEFULLY IF THIS PASSES, THEN THE CITY WILL VERY QUICKLY REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A FULL DISCUSSION OF THE HEALTH ELEMENTS OF THE PFAS AND, AND ANY OF THE MATERIAL BEING USED.
BUT ALSO THIS WHOLE QUESTION OF HOW IS IT THAT WE ARE TAKING ONE PART OF A CITY WITH, WITH VERY LITTLE GREEN SPACE, UM, IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR US TO USE IT AS HER FIELD? SO I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE OPEN QUESTIONS NOW.
AND I, I AGAIN KNOW THAT, UM, COUNCILLOR SUZI HAS AN AMENDMENT THAT I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR US TO CONSIDER IN, UH, RELATION TO THIS.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN AND THEN WE'LL GET TO COUNCILLOR SUZI'S AMENDMENT.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, UH, THROUGH YOU.
THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR NOLAN FOR, FOR SPONSORING.
UM, JUST TO REMIND FOLKS THOUGH, 'CAUSE WE DID GET SOME EMAILS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS ORDER, UM, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS SAYING NOT TO DO TURF AND TO DO GRASS AND JUST THAT'S, THIS ORDER DOES NOT TAKE A POSITION ON THAT.
UM, IT'S JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND TO EXPLAIN HOW THE DECISION WAS MADE.
UM, AS SOMEONE DATING MYSELF NOW AS SOMEONE WHO PLAYED AT A HEARN FIELD SOCCER FOR, THAT'S WHERE THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL FIELD USED TO BE BEFORE DANAH.
HE ONE WAS AT DONNELLY AND ONE WAS AT A HEARN.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THIS, OF WHAT WE HAVE, AND I THINK WHERE THERE'S SOME DISAGREEMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE FIELD, RIGHT? IF THE PURPOSE OF THE FIELD IS TO BE SORT OF A GENERAL OPEN SPACE, LIKE WE HEARD SOMEONE SAY LIKE CAMBRIDGE COMMON, THEN OF COURSE YOU WANT GRASS, RIGHT? NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE A PICNIC ON A, ON A TURF FIELD, RIGHT?
UM, IF THE PURPOSE IS AS A SOCCER FIELD, TURF DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE OF THE UPKEEP.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I PLAYED BOTH ON TURF FIELDS AND GRASS FIELDS AND I HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY AND SEEN MORE INJURIES ON UNKEPT GRASS FIELDS THAN I HAVE ON TURF FIELDS.
MORE TWISTED ANKLES, BLOWN OUT KNEES.
SO IF WE DO DECIDE TO KEEP IT GRASS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN MAKING SURE THAT, UM, AND IT, AND IT'S STILL A SOCCER USED FOR SOCCER, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN KEEPING THAT FIELD IN GOOD SHAPE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, TWISTING AN ANKLE OR BLOWING OUT A KNEE BECAUSE THE FIELD GETS TOO BUMPY OR GETS TOO BEAT UP OR, YOU KNOW, SO WE SORT OF HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE.
UM, WE ARE REDOING GOLD STAR MOTHER'S FIELD.
SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT IS THAT GONNA BE TURF AS WELL, OR WE ARE WE NOT AT THAT POINT YET, IS IF THAT'S GRASS AND HER STAYS TURF OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND, IT MIGHT BE SOME WAY TO KIND OF SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE HERE.
UM, THREE MAYOR, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
SO NONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ABOUT, UM, GOLD STAR MOTHER WAS ABOUT MAKING IT TURF.
AND WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE, AND I MEAN, I JUST WANNA SAY FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS COUNCIL ORDER TO REALLY BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE SORT OF A FULL PACKAGE OF INFORMATION AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE COUNCIL ORDER AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, NONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS AT GOLD STAR MOTHER HAVE, UM, INVOLVED, UM, A CHANGE IN MATERIAL.
UM, WHEN WE LOOKED AT, UM, OPTIONS FOR, UM, DOING, UM, A TURF FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, THE GOLD STAR MOTHERS IS NOT A GREAT LAYOUT FOR THAT IN TERMS OF SIZE AND SUPPORTING SOCCER.
UM, A HEARN IS A MUCH BETTER LOCATION.
IT ALSO HAS THE BENEFIT OF BEING HEAVILY USED FOR THE SCHOOL.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, SORT OF SEEING WHERE YOU GET THE BENEFIT OF TURF, UM, AND DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE SORT OF PREFERENCE FOR, UM, A NATURAL GRASS TURF FIELD.
UM, AND WHEN YOU, THE CHALLENGE IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SORT OF DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN IT, THE BIG TRADE OFF IS WHAT IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN IT.
AND WHAT WE'RE NOT VERY GOOD ABOUT DOING IS REALLY RESTRICTING THE AMOUNT OF USE ON THOSE FIELDS.
SO THE WAY THAT YOU MAINTAIN A GRASS FIELD, PARTICULARLY WITH THESE, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, SOCCER AND FOOTBALL AND LACROSSE, WHERE YOU HAVE THIS SORT OF PIVOT, UM, SPORTS WHERE THERE'S REALLY HIGH INTENSITY USE ON THE FIELDS IS THAT AFTER IT RAINS, YOU
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DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO PLAY ON IT.AFTER YOU HAVE HEAVY USE OR YOU HAVE A TOURNAMENT, THEN YOU DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO PLAY ON IT.
AND SO THE BIG TRADE OFF, AND WHEN YOU SORT OF TALK ABOUT SORT OF MAINTAINING A GRASS FIELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD, UM, WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS SIGNIFICANTLY RESTRICTING THE AMOUNT OF USAGE THAT FIELD CAN TAKE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THOSE TRADE OFFS REALLY COME INTO PLAY.
UM, ONE LAST, UH, ONE LAST QUESTION, MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, CAN WE ALSO, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THIS, BUT UM, I ASSUME WE HAVE A REPORT OR, OR DATA ON, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THERE'S NO OPEN SPACE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE.
AND SORT OF WHEN I GO THROUGH MY, I MEAN, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE.
IF YOU GO FROM THE TRACKS, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE IS DONNELLY, THERE IS A HEARN GOLD STAR.
MOTHERS WILL COME BACK ON PLAY.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF OPEN SPACE AT VOLPI WHEN, WHEN THAT GETS DONE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK OF RIVERSIDE WHERE I LIVE, WE HAVE HOYT AND THAT'S IT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHERE THE OPEN SPACE IS BECAUSE IT, THE CDD DID A, DID A REPORT A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT SHOWED 99% OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE LIVE, LIVE LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE FROM, FROM OPEN SPACE.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT OTHER 1% IS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, I MEAN, WE, WE ARE, MOST PEOPLE LIVE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO, TO OPEN SPACE IN THE CITY.
SO I THINK GETTING A BETTER SENSE OF THAT, UM, AND, AND CHECKING THAT DATA.
'CAUSE I, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT THING, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS.
I, I, I THINK PEOPLE ARE, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SORT OF TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THIS.
AND SO IF WE CAN HELP EXPLAIN HOW THIS DECISION WAS MADE, WHY THIS DECISION WAS MADE, AND YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PROVIDE SOME MORE GREEN SPACE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF DO BOTH.
UM, WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO ANY ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.
UH, MAYOR, I'LL YIELD, I HAVE COUNCILOR ZUZI AND THEN COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
SO I, I, I GUESS I WANT US TO START OFF WITH A QUESTION FOR OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
IS, HAS A DECISION BEEN MADE OR IS IT, IS THE DECISION STILL UP FOR DISCUSSION, UM, THROUGH YOUR MAYOR SIDIKI? SO WHEN WE CAME THROUGH, AND AGAIN, WE'VE TRIED TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE OFTEN SORT OF HAVE FRUSTRATION ABOUT IS IF WE'RE NOT CLEAR ABOUT DECISIONS.
AND SO WHEN WE CAME THROUGH WITH THE BUDGET LAST YEAR AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION AT THE BUDGET HEARING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET THAT WE PUT FORWARD AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT INCLUDED CHANGING IT TO A TURF FIELD.
AND I KNOW CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER WAS HERE WHEN WE HAD THAT HEARING.
AND SO WE DEFINITELY, AS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, WENT INTO THIS PROJECT WITH IT BEING AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD.
UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR US TO COME BACK WITH A REPORT TO SORT OF FULLY LAY OUT HOW THAT DECISION WAS MADE.
UM, AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY PROCESS, THE TEAM HAS TRIED TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT HERE'S SOME OF THE GIVENS AND HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS, UM, WITH THE PROJECT.
AND HERE'S WHERE WE HAVE REALLY OPEN-ENDED.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK AND REALLY TO TRY TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THOSE DECISION POINTS ARE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LAST YEAR AT THE HEARING AND THEN CONTINUING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PROCESS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOCUSED A LOT ON THE FIELDS.
THE PROJECT ACTUALLY INCLUDES THE ENTIRE OPEN SPACE.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE OTHER AREAS.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I WANNA HAVE A PICNIC, I WANT TO USE THE SPACE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT CAN BE THERE? UM, AND THEN I THINK TO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN'S POINT, IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO COME BACK AND SORT OF TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE OVERALL LIKE, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE BUILDING PORTFOLIO, RIGHT? LIKE WHAT'S THE PORTFOLIO OF OPEN SPACE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT, THE LOCATION, AND THEN THE VARIOUS TYPES OF OPEN SPACE.
BECAUSE I THINK THE OTHER ONE, UM, THE GOVERN COUNCIL MEMBER GOVERNOR DIDN'T MENTION WAS ALSO TOME FIELD, TOMI PARK, WHICH HAS ALSO COME ONLINE.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SORT OF DIG INTO THAT AND SHARE, 'CAUSE THAT WAS SOME OF THE THINKING BEHIND THE PROCESS.
YEAH, I WISH, I WISH THE DECISION HADN'T BEEN MADE.
'CAUSE I, I GUESS I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT, UM, A SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD IS THE WAY TO GO.
BUT, UM, MY, MY AMENDMENT TO THE POLICY ORDER, I THINK IT'S A GREAT POLICY ORDER AND I'D LIKE TO BE A CO-SPONSOR TO IT.
UM, IT ADDS, MAYBE I CAN INTRODUCE THAT NOW.
AFTER THE FIRST ORDERED IT, IT SAYS THAT THE CITY MANAGER WORK, WORK WITH THE RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO STUDY AND ANALYZE THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND RELATIONSHIP TO FIELD RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS, INCLUDING HOW MANY SYNTHETIC VERSUS NATURAL TURF FIELDS WE WANT TO HAVE AND IN WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS TO MEET RESIDENT NEEDS AND BE IT FURTHER.
SO I'D LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT BROADER UNDERSTANDING BEFORE, UM, BEFORE WE ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION.
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PROS AND THE CONS.I UNDERSTAND IT COSTS BETWEEN 1000001.5 MILLION FOR, TO CONSTRUCT AND INSTALL A TURF FIELD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT A TURF FIELD, YOU CAN GET ABOUT 2,800 PLAYING HOURS FROM IT VERSUS 800 FIELDS ON A GRASS FIELD.
BUT AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS FIELD ACTUALLY HAS MANY MORE USES THAN BEING A RECREATIONAL FIELD.
UM, AT HARVARD AND MIT THEY'RE NOT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY'RE NO, NO LONGER DOING SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS 'CAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT PFAS HEAT ABSORPTION APPARENTLY CAN BE 180 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT ON HOT DAYS ON A TURF FIELD.
AND HAVING JUST GONE TO THE, UM, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM ON HOT SUMMERS AND EXTREME HEAT, UM, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW IN 20, 30, 20 TO 40 DAYS WILL BE OVER 90 DEGREES AND 20 40, 25 TO 90 DAYS WILL BE OVER 90 DEGREES.
SO THAT SYNTHETIC TURF IS GONNA BE VERY, VERY HOT.
AND IF, IF YOU WANNA GET SCARED FURTHER, UM, BY TWENTY SEVENTY, A HUNDRED THIRTY DAYS OVER 80 DEGREES AND 60 DAYS OVER 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE GOING FORWARD, UM, A SYNTHETIC FIELD, AGAIN, YOU GET MORE PLAYING TIME, BUT AGAIN, YOU'VE, YOU'RE CREATING INCREDIBLE, UM, WASTE.
'CAUSE YOU'RE THROWING AWAY THIS HUGE PLASTIC CARPET AFTER 10 YEARS AND THEN WE HAVE FLOODING ISSUES AND IT'S AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
SO THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
SO I HOPE THAT ACTUALLY YOU'LL REPORT BACK TO US, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN DISCUSS THEM AS A COUNCIL.
'CAUSE I, I'M, I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT SYNTHETIC TURF IS THE WAY TO GO, THOUGH I UNDERSTAND ARGUMENTS FOR AND, AND AGAINST IT.
ANOTHER, ANOTHER IDEA, UM, ANISE CAMBRIDGE NEIGHBOR SHARED WITH ME IS THAT HOW ABOUT WHY NOT HAVE A SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD AT DONNELLEY? LIKE APPARENTLY, I UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 330 BASEBALL PLAYERS AND 2,400 SOCCER PLAYERS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE THREE BASEBALL FIELDS AT DONNELLEY.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE A WAR BETWEEN THE BASEBALL PLAYERS AND THE SOCCER PLAYERS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT THEM ALL, BUT, BUT IT, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU STARTED ONE
MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE AT A HEARN WHERE THEY REALLY NEED A PARK 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OPEN SPACE.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE BROADER DISCUSSION THAT I'M EAGER TO READ AND TO HEAR BEFORE WE GO FORWARD.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BALANCE HERE.
UM, SO I, AGAIN, I I HOPE THE CITY WILL MAKE ITS FINAL OR THE COUNCIL MAYBE WILL VOTE ON A FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR WHAT THE FIELD IS AFTER HEARING YOUR REPORT.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, SO THIS IS MY, UM, AMENDMENT TO THIS POLICY ORDER.
AND AGAIN, I AM GRATEFUL TO COUNSELORS, NOLAN SIDIKI AND MCGOVERN FOR INTRODUCING THE POLICY ORDER.
BUT I THINK THIS WILL ENCOURAGE A BROADER DISCUSSION THAT WE REALLY NEED TO HEAR BACK ABOUT, UM, UH, BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER.
I YIELD, SO COUNCILLOR SUZI HAS THIS A AMENDED BEFORE US.
SO WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, I WAS ASSUMING THAT THIS WAS A SINGLE USE FIELD, AND I PUT IT THROUGH THAT PRISM AND, UM, IN THAT PRISM, IN EVERY PERSON'S OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ARE THERE REFERENCE, I THOUGHT OF MY EXPERIENCES AS A LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL COACH AND HAVING MUDDY FIELDS.
AND I THOUGHT OF MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES PLAYING, UH, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ON A MUDDY FIELD AT THE OLD DAILY FIELD DOWN ON SOLDIERS FIELD ROAD, WHERE ONE OF MY TEAMMATES, WHO WAS THAT CAMP MESS KID, BLEW OUT HIS KNEE, WHICH COST HIM A, A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME.
HE WAS GONNA BE A FOOTBALL PLAYER FOR FIGHTING IRISH.
AND SO EVER SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN PREJUDICED TOWARDS THE SAFETY OF TURF FIELDS AND HAVING PLAYED ON TURF FIELDS.
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THAT.
UM, AND RECOGNIZING THE ISSUES WITH DRAINAGE AND RESTRICTING USE ON A GRASS FIELD AND THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THAT.
UM, I WOULD ASK, I'D, I'D ASK, UM, COUNCILOR NOLAN DID INVITE ME TO BE A, UH, CO-SPONSOR.
[02:15:01]
NAMED AS A CO-SPONSOR THIS ORDER TODAY, AND I SUPPORT IT.BUT I'D ALSO ASK THAT IN THE REVIEW, UH, THE CITY LOOK AT DRAINAGE ISSUES AND RESTRICTION ISSUES AND SEE IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET FULL USE OUT OF A GRASS FIELD.
UM, CONSIDERING THAT IT'S NOT A SINGLE USE FIELD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I WAS ORIGINALLY, BEFORE I CAME HERE TONIGHT, I WAS JUST IN FAVOR OF A SAFE TURF FIELD.
BUT AS I THOUGHT MORE ABOUT IT AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND THE USE OF THESE FIELDS, UM, I'M, I'M NOT SO SURE THAT THAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND SO, UM, I, I THINK THERE'S SOME REAL VALID CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
UH, AND I'D ASK THE CITY TO LOOK AT THOSE, THOSE ISSUES, THE DRAINAGE IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S HERE ON THE POLICY ORDER, THE DRAINAGE, AND ALSO RESTRICTING THE USE.
UH, SO WE CAN MAYBE SERVE THE BROADER INTEREST OF EVERYONE IN THESE CAMBRIDGE.
AND THE, UH, THE WAR BETWEEN SOCCER AND BASEBALL HAS ALREADY BEEN WON.
I WON'T TELL YOU WHO WON THAT WAR, BUT THE WAR HAS BEEN WON AND EAST CAMBRIDGE WON THE, UH, MAYOR'S CUP.
SO I YIELD, SO WE
THERE'S ALSO A MOTION TO ADD COUNCILOR ZUZI AND COUNCILOR FLAHERTY ONTO THE POLICY ORDER, UM, AS WELL.
AND I HAVE FOR A FEW MORE HANDS.
SO VICE MAYOR AZI, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNSELOR ZUBI.
UM, SORRY NAOMI, WHAT DID YOU WANNA SAY? SORRY, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, COUNCILLOR SUZI, WHEN YOU WERE READING, YOU SAID THE WORD IN RELATIONSHIP AND WHAT YOU SENT IS IN RELATION.
CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR AMENDMENT? WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT.
UM, I'M SORRY IF I MISSED THIS, BUT AS I WAS GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING, UH, I KNOW THAT LIKE ARON FIELD AND, AND YOU'VE KIND OF MENTIONED THIS AS WELL, IS BIGGER THAN A SOCCER FIELD BY DIMENSIONS, RIGHT? SO WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH ALL THE REMAINING SPACE, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI? SO AGAIN, THE DESIGN TEAM HAS BEEN HAVING A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND CAN PROVIDE THAT UPDATE AS PART OF THIS, BUT IT DOES ALSO INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE LIKE STREET HOCKEY COURT, THE PLAYGROUNDS AND OTHER AREAS, GRASS AREAS AROUND THE FIELD.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN AND ARE ALSO BEING, UM, REIMAGINED.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER DESIRES AND NEEDS IS THAT DOES IT ALL NEED TO HAPPEN ON THE FIELD OR ARE THERE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS PART OF THAT? BUT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT UPDATED DESIGN WHEN WE COME BACK, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, AND ALSO HOW MUCH, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAID TO SOME EXTENT THAT DECISIONS BEEN MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TURF.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF LIKE THAT FINALIZED DESIGN HAS ALSO BEEN MADE IN THAT.
LIKE, I WONDER IF TO SOME EXTENT PEOPLE WANTED LIKE A NATURAL GRASSY AREA IF WE COULD PROVIDE A SPACE FOR THEM TOO ON THE SAME FIELD, AND THEN MAYBE THAT PROBLEM GOES AWAY A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT.
AND THEN SECOND, UM, IS THAT, UM, I, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THIS CONVERSATION 'CAUSE I THINK WE'LL BE BITING OFF A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE CAN CHEW.
BUT I ACTUALLY WANNA SAY I KIND OF AGREE WITH COUNCILORS
AND I DO WONDER IF, YOU KNOW, AS ZOO USAGE, LIKE OF THOSE FIELDS GETS, YOU KNOW, CHANGES OVER TIME.
LIKE, I, I DO WONDER IF IT MAKES SENSE TO REALLOCATE SOME OF THOSE SPACES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I THINK SOCCER HAS BEEN GROWING PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT CAN BE A WHOLE SEPARATE CONVERSATION WE DON'T NEED TO GET INTO AT THIS MOMENT.
BUT I DID WANNA PUT IN A PLUS ONE FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO BE ADDED TO THIS POLICY ORDER AS WELL.
YOU MADAM MAYOR, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT THIS POLICY ORDER'S ON THE FLOOR AND I'D ALSO LOVE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR, BUT JUST WANNA NOTE, AS YOU KNOW, SOME OF US USED TO HUSTLE ON SYNTHETIC TURF, UNLIKE COUNSELOR, UH, FLAHERTY.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT EASY USUALLY WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE.
UM, TO WHAT CO TO WHAT FOLKS HAVE SAID, UM, IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS TO BE ON A VERY HOT SYNTHETIC TURF.
UM, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ALSO NAVIGATED, UM, NAVIGATES HEAT LIKE HOT WEATHER, IT SOMETIMES ISN'T THE SAFEST THING FOR KIDS.
SO THAT ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT JUST GENERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD, BECAUSE SYNTHETIC TURF ACTUALLY GIVES MORE THAN NATURAL GRASS, IT, IT USUALLY SOMETIMES CAN BE LESS SAFE THAN NATURAL GRASS.
[02:20:01]
THAT FIFA THAT'S COMING UP RIGHT NOW, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY USE STRICTLY, UH, GRASS TO PLAY, UM, AT THE LEAST HYBRID SYSTEMS. SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS TO CONSIDER.AND I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I'M SITTING WITH RIGHT NOW IS I'D LOVE IF WE CAN GET THE KIDS WHO PLAY ON THE FIELD TO WORK, LIKE TO TALK THROUGH WHAT, WHAT IT IS AND HOW THEY USE THE FIELD, UM, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT IS IT THAT THEY NEED OR HOW DO, HOW DO THEY THINK THROUGH IT TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO NAVIGATE THIS.
BUT I'LL, I'LL BE CURIOUS TO HEAR, UM, THE NEXT STEPS I'LL YIELD.
HAS EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK ON THE FLOOR SPOKEN ON THIS SIDE? I KNOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO, UH, COUNCILLOR ZI, BUT ANYONE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN.
UM, OKAY, SO COUNCILLOR SUZI, YOU HAVE THE AMENDMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI.
UM, I THINK THIS DISCUSSION'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, AND I DO THINK THERE CAN BE SOME CLARIFICATIONS.
UM, I THINK ACTUALLY THE DISCUSSION DOES BRING OUT SOME OF THE TRADE OFFS THAT ULTIMATELY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH.
UM, AND SO I DO FEEL IT IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD THAT UH, THERE IS GOING TO ULTIMATELY BE A TRADE OFF BETWEEN A TURF FIELD THAT CAN WITHSTAND REALLY SIGNIFICANT USE.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SAY THAT THERE IS A WAY FOR GRASS FIELDS TO BE AS UTILIZED.
UM, AND I THINK THERE IS INCREASING DEMAND FROM YOUTH SPORTS, UM, THAT THAT ACTUALLY DOES JUSTIFY THE EXPANSION OF FIELDS.
AND, AND WE ACTUALLY DO NEED MORE SPACES TO BOOK, UM, FOR A LOT OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE CONCERNS AROUND PUBLIC HEALTH, AROUND SAFETY, HEAT DRAINAGE, THOSE I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS PRETTY WELL.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY OUR, THE, THE RECREATION TEAM AND THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM OF DOING A LOT OF WORK, UM, THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH TRADITIONAL SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS.
UM, AND I THINK WE CAN COME BACK WITH A PRETTY GOOD REPORT IN TERMS OF NATURAL MATERIAL, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, UM, HOW IT IS GOING TO RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO HEAT.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT ULTIMATE TRADE-OFF BETWEEN, UM, THE USE OF OPEN SPACE AND I THINK COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, YOU, YOU SAID THIS REALLY WELL, IF WHAT YOU'RE USED TO IS GOING TO A FIELD AND SITTING DOWN AND HAVING A PICNIC, IT'S JUST NOT GONNA FEEL THE SAME WITH A TURF FIELD.
AND THAT IS ULTIMATELY A TRADE-OFF THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE.
UM, AND WHETHER WE'RE LOOKING MORE BROADLY, THERE WILL ULTIMATELY BE A TRADE OFF ON USES.
UM, AND SO, UH, I I THINK SOME OF WHAT MADE A HEARN AN EXCITING LOCATION WAS, UH, ACTUALLY GETTING MORE, UH, WELL UTILIZED FIELDS ONTO THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S REALLY CONCENTRATED, UM, AT DANAY.
UM, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE ALREADY GONNA BE DOING WORK THERE TO DO A FULLER REDESIGN, UM, AND THAT WE WERE NOT ACTUALLY PITTING, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A BASEBALL, UH, DEMAND AGAINST SOCCER.
UM, SO NOT TO SAY WHO WOULD POTENTIALLY WIN OUT, UM, I I WOULD MAYBE, UH, SAY TO COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT BATTLE IS FULLY WON OR OVER, UM, BUT UM, BUT I THINK WE DID FEEL LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO AT LEAST NOT CREATE THAT KIND OF DYNAMIC.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCILOR ZUZI.
UM, I I JUST WANTED TO SAY THOUGH, I MEANT TO SAY RELATION NOT RELATIONSHIP.
SO I I, THE, THE AMENDMENT IS AS IT'S NOTED ABOVE.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY AND LET YOU KNOW, I'VE AT MAGAZINE BEACH, YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED THE POWER OF ORGANIZED SPORTS GROUPS 'CAUSE WE HAVE LIKE A SOCCER FIELD IN AN AREA THAT NEVER DRAINS.
AND, AND SOME MIGHT QUESTION WHETHER A SOCCER FIELD BESIDE THE RIVER IS LIKE THE BEST USE OF AN AREA THAT NEVER DRAINS.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE CAN'T USE IT AS A SOCCER FIELD.
BUT I, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA LISTEN TO ALSO JUST OPEN SPACE LOVERS THOSE THAT, UH, I MEAN THERE ARE A WHOLE NOTHER GROUP AND OVER 800 OF THEM SIGNED A PETITION SAYING THEY JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO HANG OUT ON OPEN SPACE.
THEY WANNA HAVE A COMMON IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AT, UH, HEARN AND, AND HAVING GRASS THERE.
SO, SO DON'T JUST CONSIDER THE BASEBALL AND THE SOCCER, BUT ALSO WE, WE MUST CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF THOSE THAT JUST WANT A SPOT OF GREEN SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE A BACKYARD TO RETREAT TO, TO CONNECT WITH NATURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE THE, THE IDEA OF PUTTING IN, UM, A TURF FIELD AT DONNELLEY ISN'T CRAZY BECAUSE, UH, JUST SPEND THE MILLION DOLLARS AT DONNELLEY INSTEAD OF AT A HEARN AND PUT PUTTING GRASS AT
[02:25:01]
A HEARN TO GIVE THEM OPEN SPACE.AND, AND AT THE VOLPE SIDE, IT'S ONLY GONNA BE FIVE EIGHTS AT AN ACRE AT A VERY BUSY, NOISY INTERSECTION.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE THE SAME THING THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY URBAN PARK.
AND I LOVE TIM TUMI PARK, BUT THAT'S A VERY, UM, CURATED PARK.
UM, HERN IS VERY DIFFERENT 'CAUSE 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE THIS FLAT, OPEN UNPROGRAMMED SPACE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE SKY.
DOES THIS CLARIFY WHAT, OKAY, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, UH, THROUGH YOU.
UM, EVEN ON THE, UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT, A LOT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE.
UM, TURF FIELDS HAVE DRAINAGE, RIGHT? UH, YEAH, THROUGH YOUR MAYOR SIDIKI.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE IF YOU GO TO SENATE PARK, WHERE WE MOST WAS PROBABLY OUR MOST RECENT SIGNIFICANT RENOVATION OF A NATURAL TURF FIELD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID THERE WAS INSTALL AN IRRIGATE, I MEAN A UNDER DRAINAGE SYSTEM SO THAT, 'CAUSE OTHERWISE THE FIELD STAYS TOO WET.
SO IN EITHER CONDITION YOU WOULD HAVE, UM, UNDER FIELD DRAINAGE.
AND COUNCIL, UM, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, UNLESS I MISS SOMETHING, I DON'T THINK THE THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HAS MADE A DECISION YET ABOUT THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
UM, BUT I HOPE WE'RE TALKING TO THEM TOO, BECAUSE THEY MAY PREFER GRASS OVER TURF OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
BUT I, I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT BUILDING'S GONNA BE A SCHOOL AGAIN.
UM, AND UH, I HOPE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THEM IN THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
AND SO THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT IS A BIG PART OF THE OVERALL DESIGN PROCESS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE SCHOOLS, ONE OF THE BIG BENEFITS AND AMENITIES THEY SEE AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE USE OF THAT SITE IS ABOUT THE OPEN SPACE.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD THAT HAS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT RAINS IN THE MORNING, YOU CAN STILL GO OUT IN THE AFTERNOON FOR RECESS.
UM, SO IT IS THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO THEY HAVE SEEN IT AS A BENEFIT IN TERMS OF THEM BEING ABLE TO USE IT MORE REGULARLY AND AGAIN, NOT HAVE THESE LIKE, OKAY, THE FIELD IS STILL WET, WE CAN'T USE IT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE PROCESS.
AND I'LL JUST FINISH AND I JUST THANK YOU.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THERE ARE GREAT ARGUMENTS TO BE MADE SORT OF ON BOTH SIDES.
SO I HOPE WHERE WE END UP IS THAT, AND I, THIS IS WHY I LIKE THE, I I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT AS WELL, UM, THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT AT HOW WE BALANCE ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE'S A HUGE PART OF TOMI PARK THAT IS PASSIVE.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE BIG FIELD, I MEAN YOU'VE GOT THE HILL, BUT THE WHOLE REST OF THE FIELD IS JUST OPEN SPACE, WHICH I THINK IS LARGER THAN A HERN JUST BY MAYBE CLOSE, BUT TO MY EYESIGHT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, IT HOW DO WE, THERE ARE OPTIONS TO BALANCE THIS A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? AND SO I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A GRASS OPEN SPACE THAT THEY CAN JUST PASSIVELY ENJOY.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT THAT THERE ARE NO VERY FEW PLAYING FIELDS FOR, FOR, FOR SOCCER ON, ON THAT SIDE OF THE CITY.
SO IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE DONE IN THE SAME PLACE.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT WHATEVER WE DECIDE, WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT OFFSETTING THAT DECISION SOMEWHERE ELSE IN, IN, IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND GET THE BEST OF BOTH, UH, OF BOTH WORLDS.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND WE ARE, I KNOW THERE'S ONE MORE QUESTION, BUT THEN I THINK WE SHOULD PROCEED TO THE VOTE.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THANKS FOR, UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO AMEND IT, BUT I THINK WE GOT THE MESSAGE.
WE'LL ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE ISSUES AND HAVE SOME REAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
AND ALSO WHILE THE POLICY ORDER TALKS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND MOSTLY ABOUT THE, THE TYPE OF MATERIAL IN PFAS AS SEVERAL COUNSELORS HAVE RAISED, AND I WAS ALSO AT THE LIBRARY FOR THE HEAT DISCUSSION, THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE, THAT, THAT, THAT PUBLIC HEALTH ALSO INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW IT IS THAT WE ENSURE THAT WITH THE, UH, EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EXTREMELY HOT DAYS THAT THIS FIELD WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPROPRIATE SINCE THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN OVER THE TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO AMEND IT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.
I YIELD, I GUESS I'LL HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF INTEREST IN KIND OF GETTING TO THIS SOON.
WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING NEXT MONDAY, BUT WHEN DO YOU THINK, UM, EARLY MAY OR WHEN ARE, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET A RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL? UM, SO I THINK A, A COUPLE WEEKS.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK, I MEAN MOST OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE IS REALLY JUST ABOUT PACKAGING IT AND ADDING SOME MAPS AND, UM, SO CERTAINLY NOT NEXT WEEK OR TWO WEEKS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK IN THE NEXT MONTH.
YEAH, I THINK, UM, JUST TO SUM UP EVERYWHERE WHAT EVERYONE SAID, I THINK THERE IS, UM, SOME INTEREST IN REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'VE ALLUDED TO AROUND, UM, THE KIND OF THE WHY.
[02:30:01]
THEN THERE IS SOME INTEREST TO I THINK SEE, UM, HOW DO YOU DO BOTHSO I THINK, UM, THE, FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE WONDERING, UM, JUST WHERE WE ARE, UH, WHEN THIS WILL COME BACK BEFORE US, IT'LL COME UM, AS A RESPONSE VIA THE CITY MANAGER AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THAT POINT AND THE COUNCIL CAN WEIGH IN AT THAT POINT AND THE PUBLIC CAN ALSO WEIGH IN AT THAT POINT.
SO WE HAVE COUNCILOR SUZI'S AMENDMENT BEFORE US.
AFTER THAT WE WILL PROCEED TO ADDING ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAD WANTED TO BE ADDED.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD ON ADOPTING COUNCILOR SUZI'S AMENDMENT.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT, THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN ADDED.
NOW WE HAVE THE MOTION TO ADD COUNCILLOR ZZI, COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY, VICE MAYOR AZI AND COUNCILOR ZUBIE TO THE AMENDED POLICY ORDER.
THOSE FOUR COUNSELORS HAVE BEEN ADDED.
WE NOW HAVE THE AMENDED POLICY ORDER BEFORE US ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO ADOPT THE AMENDED POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THAT POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED.
WE'RE DONE WITH THE POLICY ORDERS AND FOR THOSE TUNING IN THIS RIVETING CONVERSATION WHEN COUNCILOR FLAHERTY EXERCISES CHARTER, RIGHT, THAT MEANS THAT THIS POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO WILL BE BACK AT OUR NEXT FULL COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS A APRIL 27TH BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE A MEETING ON PATRIOTS DAY NEXT MONDAY.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THE POLICY ORDERS.
WE'LL ALSO MOVE ON FROM THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS 'CAUSE WE CANNOT ACT ON THAT.
[COMMUNICATIONS]
COMMUNICATIONS.THERE ARE 16 COMMUNICATIONS PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL S ON FILE.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS MAKES A MOTION TO PLACE ALL COMMUNICATE ALL 16 COMMUNICATIONS ON FILE.
THOSE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PLACED ON FILE.
[RESOLUTIONS]
ON TO THE RESOLUTIONS.ADOPT THE ORDER RESOLUTIONS, WAIVE THE READING, MAKE 'EM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION.
COUNSELOR SIMMONS MOVES TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTIONS, MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED.
[COMMITTEE REPORTS]
TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.ARE THERE ANY ONES THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PULL? COUNCIL MCGOVERN, UM, NUMBER THREE, COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOVERN POLLS.
NUMBER THREE,
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THOSE TWO UH, COMMITTEE REPORTS ARE PLACED ON FILE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE REPORT NUMBER THREE.
THIS IS THAT THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 6TH, 2026 TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HELD AT THE MARCH 11TH, 2026 HEARING REGARDING ZONING AMENDMENTS, EXCUSE ME, ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN ACTIVE USE REQUIREMENTS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET AND MASS AV.
AS A FOLLOW UP ON THE RECENTLY ADOPTED ZONING PETITIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER GOVERN.
THERE'S FOUR VOTES IN TOTAL, UM, THAT WE NEED TO TAKE.
UM, THERE ARE THREE POLICY ORDERS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN, IN THESE MINUTES IN THIS COMMITTEE REPORT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE REPORT AND PLACE IT ON FILE.
SO THE FIRST IS, UM, POLICY ORDER 2026 DASH 72 THAT THE CITY MANAGERS REQUESTED TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND RELATIVE STAFF TO INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIAL PERMITS FOR FORMULA BUSINESSES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
AS DISCUSSED AT THE APRIL 6TH, 2026 COMMITTEE MEETING.
I DUNNO IF WE WANNA DISCUSS ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
I THINK WE SHOULD DO ALL THESE ON ROLL CALL JUST TO MAKE SURE.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR MCGOVERN TO ADOPT THAT ORDER.
[02:35:01]
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.THAT'S ALL NINE MEMBERS VOTING? YES.
UM, AND JUST BEFORE I GO ON TO, UH, THE SECOND ONE, JUST TO REMIND FOLKS THAT THIS IS DIRECTING CDD, THEY HAVE TO COME BACK WITH LANGUAGE THAT WE'LL GO BACK TO ORDINANCE.
SO THERE ARE, THIS IS NOT A FINAL VOTE.
THERE WILL STILL BE OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER AMEND OR, OR NOT.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST TO GET THIS IN FRONT OF CDD SO THEY CAN DO THE WORK TO BRING IT BACK TO US.
SO THE SECOND IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS REQUESTED TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND RELATIVE STAFF TO PREPARE A DRAFT ZONING PETITION TO STRENGTHEN ACTIVE USE REQUIREMENTS ON MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE PER THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND OPTION TWO ON CAMBRIDGE STREET WHILE KEEPING WARREN STREET IN THE CAM DASH SIX DISTRICT ON THAT ORDER.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CON ADOPTING THAT ORDER.
AND, UM, THE LAST MOTION POLICY ORDER 2026 DASH 74, THAT THE CITY MANAGERS REQUESTED TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO CREATE DRAFT LANGUAGE TO PROPOSE CHANGING THE SECTION OF O'BRIEN HIGHWAY TO DA ZONING DISTRICT.
SEEING NO COMMENTS ON THAT EITHER.
WE'LL GO AHEAD, DO A ROLL CALL AND ADOPTING COUNCILLOR ZUBY.
AND THE LAST VOTE, MADAM MAYOR, IS TO ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE REPORT TO ACCEPT COMMITTEE REPORT NUMBER THREE IN PLACE ON FILE ON COUNCIL MCGOVERN'S MOTION TO ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE REPORT NUMBER THREE AND PLACING IT ON FILE.
THOSE THAT COMMITTEE REPORT NUMBER THREE IS PLACED ON FILE.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS]
COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS.THERE ARE TWO PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
HEARING NONE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN TO PLACE THESE TWO COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ON FILE.
THOSE COMMITTEE REPORT, THOSE COMMUNICATIONS AND, AND REPORTS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ARE PLACED ON FILE.
[LATE AGENDA ITEMS REQUIRING SUSPENSION OF THE RULES PER RULE 36A]
LATE POLICY ORDERS.WE DO HAVE A LATE, I THINK WE HAVE, UM, LATE RESOLUTION ONE, LATE RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL ZUBIE ON RECOGNIZING CAMBRIDGE EL SALVADOR, SISTER CITY AND THE WORK OF SAN JOSE LOS FLORES.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON, ON SUSPENSION COUNCIL ZUBI.
SO THAT LATE RESOLUTION IS BEFORE US.
SO RECOGNIZING THE CAMBRIDGE EL SALVADOR SISTER CITY.
THIS IS, THIS RESOLUTION SPEAKS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY THAT WE HAVE WITH, UH, SAN JOSE LAS FLORES.
AND WE HAVE, UH, DELEGATION THAT IS LED BY CITY MEMBERS, SARAH, UH, WHO WILL BE TRAVELING TO EL SALVADOR WITH THE DELEGATION TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY AND MOVEMENT LEADERS.
AND THIS EXPRESSES OUR STRONG MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO THEM.
AND WE WOULD, WE WISH THEM SUCCESS.
AND, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A REPORT BACK ALL YIELD.
AND THIS WAS FILED BY, UM, MYSELF AND COUNCILOR, UM, SABRINA WHEELER.
AND I HAD COUNCILLOR NOLAN AND THEN COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
I THINK IT'S TERRIFIC TO PUT IN THIS RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF ALL THE WORK.
THEY ARE REALLY, UH, A GROUP THAT HAS MANAGED TO CONTINUE OVER THE YEARS.
COUNSELOR NOLAN WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
I'M JUST, 'CAUSE IT'S A LATE RES, I'M JUST SEEING IT NOW.
WHEN ARE THEY GOING? OH, IS THAT WHAT THIS IS FOR? YES.
COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN, IN REFERENCE.
SORRY, COUNCILOR SIMMONS, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
IS IT, IT'S A RESOLUTION IN REFERENCE TO THE, UH, TRIP THAT'S GOING TO YVAN.
SORRY, I'M MIXING UP MY SISTER CITY'S APOLOGIES.
WHEN, WHEN'S THE DATE? AT THE END OF APRIL.
[02:40:01]
AND THIS IS NOT A COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE THE END OF APRIL.THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING, UH, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, TO, TO MY COLLEAGUE.
UH, I KNOW, AND WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS DURING ROBERT'S RULES.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS, UM, TRIED TO EXERCISE A RULE OF NOT BRINGING IN LATE ORDERS IF IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY, WHICH I DON'T THINK THIS IS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BE CRANKY, SO I'LL NOT EXERCISE MY CHARTER.
I JUST WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT.
USUALLY WE TRY NOT TO DO, TO DO THAT.
UH, SO I JUST WANT, I WILL SUPPORT IT.
UM, BUT WE TRYING TO RESERVE USING, UH, BRINGING THINGS IN AS LATE ORDERS WHEN IT'S TIME SENSITIVE, I YIELD THE FLOOR.
I WILL SAY IT'S RELATIVELY URGENT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET A PHYSICAL, IF THIS IS PASSED BY THE COUNCIL, WE'D BE ABLE TO GET A PHYSICAL COPY TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE IT ON THE TRIP.
BUT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF WE HAD IT ON THE APRIL 27TH HEARING.
SO, MADAM, I HEAR YOU MADAM, MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU TO MY COLLEAGUE.
WHAT YOU COULD DO, JUST FOR YOUR EDIFICATION ON OUR EDIFICATION, IS YOU COULD HAVE ALSO THEN SUSPENDED THE RULES AND ASKED RECONSIDERATION WOULD'VE MADE IT FINAL TODAY.
THEY COULD HAVE HAD IT IN THEIR HAND TOMORROW.
FYI WE'VE WE'RE ALMOST DONE FOLKS.
SO ON A MOTION BY, WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADD COUNCILOR NOLAN.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
COUNCILOR NOLAN IS ADDED AND NOW WE HAVE AN AMENDED RESOLUTION BEFORE US ON ADOPTING THAT AMENDED RESOLUTION.
ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BODY? YES, COUNCILOR ZI.
WE HAVE, UM, TOMORROW AT THE HAR HARVARD JOINT CENTER ON HOUSING, THERE'LL BE A LECTURE ABOUT SOCIAL HOUSING FROM FROM FOUR TO SIX.
UM, AND YOU CAN STILL ATTEND BY ZOOM.
ON THURSDAY THE 16TH, WE'LL HAVE OUR SISTER CITY BRUNCH WITH, UM, FOLKS FROM ARMENIA.
AND THEN JUST TO START, WE'LL BE PRESENTING THE LATEST PLANS FOR 37 BROOKLINE STREET, WHICH WAS PETER VALENTINE'S RESIDENCE.
AND ALSO, UH, THERE'LL BE AN OPEN HOUSE ABOUT BROADWAY BIKES SAFETY AT THE CITY HALL ANNEX FROM FIVE 30 TO SEVEN 30, ALSO ON THE 16TH.
SO LOTS OF THINGS ARE COMING UP.
AS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING A HUNDRED YEARS OF NEGRO HISTORY WEEK START IN FEBRUARY OF 2026 AND WILL END IN FEBRUARY OF 2027.
AND IN THAT VEIN, WE'LL BE HAVING A FIRESIDE CHAT HERE IN THE CHAMBER WITH CAROLINE HUNTER.
MANY OF YOU KNOW HER AND YOU KNOW HER WORK.
THAT'S GOING TO BE APRIL 22ND, FIVE 30 HERE IN THE CHAMBER PROGRAM STARTS AT 6:00 PM ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BODY BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN? HEARING NONE ON A MOTION BY VICE TO ADJOURN.
IT'S 8:14 PM GOODNIGHT EVERYONE, AND SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS.